Sailor Moon Eternal
by LizzyLovesPink
Summary: Three years have passed and the Senshi finally find themselves living the lives of normal girls, just like they've always wanted. However, retiring from fighting evil soon catches up to them, and a new villain wants to turn the tides for them. The Senshi have to transform into their Eternal forms to even pose a threat, and Usagi herself has to unlock her potential full power.
1. Episode 1: Let's Check on Mother Usagi!

Usagi walked down the street, carrying a bundle and looking around nervously. She had a place to go to and a person to meet, but she was worried that the person had given her the wrong address. She held the bundle closer to her and turned down a main street, usually busy around this time of day, but was surprisingly empty today. It was a street lined with various popular shops, so this just made the emptiness eerier. Finally, Usagi found the store she was looking for, and smiled widely. She pulled open the painted-pink door and ran inside, taking a seat at a table close to the kitchen. Within minutes, the store's owner came over to her, her curly auburn hair pulled up into a tight bun. A lacy apron was carefully tied around her brown pantsuit.

"Usagi-chan! I didn't expect you to come here so early! How are you?" Makoto asked happily.

"I'm good, but please don't talk so loudly. I just got her to sleep only an hour ago." Usagi whispered, motioning to the bundle in her arms. Makoto lowered her voice and motioned to it.

"Could I look at her again? I know I visited you last week and saw her, but she is just so cute I can't resist!" She tried her best not to squeal. Usagi nodded and pulled some of the bundle away. It revealed a baby girl sleeping there quite soundly, with thin pink hair on her head. A tiny red bow was secured into her hair. "Oh, she's so beautiful, Usagi-chan. You and Mamoru-san did a really good job on her."

"Yeah, but she's a handful. She cries for no reason at all! I feed her, then put her to bed, then I try to sleep myself, only to have her cry! So I run over to her crib to see what's wrong, but there's nothing wrong! She's just crying so I won't sleep!" Usagi griped. Makoto giggled and slid into the chair across from her.

"Yup, that certainly does sound like the Chibiusa-chan we're all familiar with."

"I'd prefer for you to not use her nickname around her. She needs to grow up thinking her name is Usagi!"

"But she handled her nickname fine before."

"She was older then, she's just a baby right now." Usagi covered Chibiusa up again gently, kissing the tip of her forehead.

"Anyway, what exactly brings you here?" Makoto asked.

"To ask you if you can take her in for a while. She's starting to drive me crazy! I have no time for myself anymore!" Usagi cried. Makoto got up from her seat.

"Me? I have my hands full with this bakery. I can't handle a baby too! Besides, I wouldn't know how to take care of one, even if I _did_ want to." She stated.

"What about Ami-chan?"

"She's in Russia right now on some sort of volunteer doctor work. She won't be back for another month."

"Rei-chan?"

"Can you imagine a baby at a shrine? Why don't you ask someone who's taken care of a baby, like Michiru-san?"

"She's still on her world tour. Stupid violin players." Usagi grumbled. She got up from her chair as well.

"Oh no, she just came back today." A customer came into the bakery at that point, and she went behind the counter and started politely taking their order.

"Does that mean Haruka-san is back from her racing tour?" Usagi asked hopefully, but Makoto shook her head at her. "Alright, then I'll just go ask Michiru-san. Hopefully she won't turn me down!" Makoto gave the customer their change back and pointed them to a table nearby.

"Why would she? It's been pretty boring for the Outer Senshi lately since Hotaru-chan has gotten older. I'm sure they'd appreciate the work." Usagi nodded in thanks, and the two girls waved at each other. She stepped outside the bakery and a cold wind rushed past her, blowing her dress and hair really hard. She held her baby closer to her and hoped she wouldn't wake up.

If the wind was going to be this strong on the walk, Usagi figured she was better off by just going back home. The walk to the Outer Senshis' mansion was a long one, and even in pleasant weather she would've been reluctant about taking it. None the less, she still walked that way, stopping occasionally whenever the wind gusted really hard. Chibiusa had woken up at some point as well, and Usagi quietly pointed out some things to her she thought might be interesting. This kept the baby's interest when they finally found themselves at the mansion. There weren't any cars parked outside of the garage, and there was only a teal-colored helicopter in the backyard. She softly knocked on the heavy door, not expecting anyone to hear it.

Hotaru heard it and opened it, her eyes growing wide at the sight of Usagi. "Usagi-san! I'm so glad to see you here! Come in!" She said enthusiastically. Usagi kicked her shoes off the best she could without disturbing the baby, then stood in the center of their living room. "Any particular reason why you're here today?" Hotaru asked.

"Actually, there was. Is your mother home? I heard she was and I had a question for her." Usagi smiled at the young girl.

"She sure is! She's still cooking lunch. Hold on, I'll go get her for you!" Hotaru turned around to run into the kitchen, only to have Michiru come out of it herself, looking very much like she had glided out of there.

"There's no need to, little princess. I heard Usagi-san's voice and figured she was here to ask me something." She bent down and untangled the black jeweled amulet hanging from Hotaru's neck, then smoothed her hair. "Go be a good girl now and play outside, okay?"

"Alright!" Hotaru ran outside, leaving the two women alone. Michiru's expression turned serious, and she looked over at her.

"Is it anything urgent relating to Sailor business? If so, we're missing several of our team, so we'd most likely be at a disadvantage." She nervously twirled her diamond engagement ring around on her finger. She had two rings, that one and a wedding ring.

"It's not! You know there's been no threat to the city in three years!" Usagi announced. Michiru stopped playing with her ring and giggled.

"Well, you can never be too careful, you know. Did you want any tea? It's really lonely around here without Setsuana or Haruka. Sure, our princess keeps me entertained, but I need a little bit more interaction with women my own age, you know?"

"I'll say no to the tea, thank you. I came here to ask you if you would like to take little Usagi off my hands? She's becoming quite a handful!" Usagi motioned to the bundle in her arms.

"You mean Chibiusa-chan? While I'm sure Hotaru would be thrilled, I'm not sure I could with my busy schedule. Even when there's three of us here, we're usually busy doing our own things. We're lucky Hotaru can take care of herself now. Having a baby who's only a few months old would be too much of a hassle."

"Oh, I understand." Usagi said sadly.

"But we could babysit!" Michiru quickly offered. "Do you need a babysitter?"

"I guess not right now..." Usagi's feet had started to hurt from just standing around, so she quickly took a seat on the couch. "Can I hang around here for a little while? Mamo-chan's not back from work yet, and Usagi doesn't need anything right now since I fed her not too long ago. She slept too."

"I suppose there's no harm in that." Michiru went back into the kitchen for something, then came out holding a tea tray. "Are you sure you don't want any tea? There's lots of it!" She set the purple gilded tray onto the coffee table and poured herself a cup, then poured lots of cream into it. She sat next to Usagi and started drinking it. The two sat there quietly for a while, their peace interrupted only by Chibiusa reaching over with her tiny hand and trying to grab Michiru's hair, only to be dismayed that she couldn't reach. Instead of crying about it, though, she simply pouted. Michiru giggled.

"Sorry about that, she's becoming quite self-aware of herself and her surroundings. Part of me wonders if she retains some of her memories about us, because she usually tries to grab various parts of my friends." Usagi explained. She couldn't even count how many times the baby had gotten a hold of her hair and pulled it harshly for no apparent reason but to bother her.

"It's fine, Hotaru was a lot like that too. She wasn't very trusting of us at first and wouldn't let us come anywhere close to her. Her distrustfulness was reasonable, of course, but we wouldn't do anything bad to a newborn..." She trailed off.

"Hey, do you still have your wedding gown anywhere? I really want to see you in it." Usagi suggested, trying to lighten the mood. Michiru looked over at her in surprise.

"Didn't you see me in it on my wedding day?" She asked. Usagi shook her head.

"It was a few days before my nineteenth birthday, so Mamo-chan and I were really busy with getting everything ready. We were really excited for it, but on the actual day, the best present of all came-our daughter!" She giggled. "It's so strange, having a child born on your birthday. You know they're coming soon, but you never really know when."

Michiru stood up. "All right, I'll put it on for you. But it probably won't fit me very well anymore!"

"Your wedding was only a few months ago!"

"Yes, but in that amount of time, Haruka's been filling me up with desserts!" She giggled and put a hand on her stomach.

"If anyone in this room is out-of-shape, it's me! I haven't been taking very good care of myself since I had Usagi, mainly because she runs me ragged. Nobody told me having children would ruin your body!" Usagi cried.

"Maybe because the product is so much more nicer, long-lasting, and important?" Michiru suggested. She left the tea tray on the table and glided out of the room. Usagi had known her for almost five years and she wasn't entirely sure how she managed to do it. It would make sense for Haruka-san to do it since she controlled the wind, in a way, but Michiru-san didn't. She controlled the ocean, again in a way. Usagi checked on her baby, who was still awake and looking around the room. She figured Chibiusa was really warm inside her pink bunny blanket, so she pulled it off of her, revealing a red dress with a white blouse under it. She had lacy socks on, but no shoes. Usagi bunched the blanket up and tucked it under her, snuggling with her baby. Michiru came back in, dressed in a billowy gown.

"Wow, you look really gorgeous, Michiru-san!" Usagi said in awe. The gown was very flowy, despite it being so tight, and millions of pearls and lace were sewn into it. Her veil was surprisingly short, but it was made up for by her long necklace, which dropped down to her waist.

"Thank you. You can see why I have a wife." She giggled.

"No, I'm serious. Even though you're twenty, you're still the most beautiful princess I have ever seen." Usagi got up from her seat and smiled at her. Chibiusa quickly grew bored of their exchanges and grabbed Michiru's necklace, looking quite pleased with herself for getting it. She promptly put the necklace into her mouth and started sucking on it, so Usagi took it out and moved a bit further away. "I'm sorry! She also puts random things into her mouth!" The necklace was dripping with slobber, although it wasn't very much. Michiru groaned in disgust and quickly took it off.

"I have to practice my violin some more. It was nice talking to you though." She said, her tone suddenly turning cold. Usagi took that to mean she had overstayed her welcome, so she silently gathered up Chibiusa's blanket and hurried outside to the backyard, where Hotaru still was. She hadn't even put her shoes back on, instead she was playing in black tights. Her colorful wardrobe her parents had insisted on when she was younger had disappeared. Her dress was a low-cut black gown that was very light-weight with an ankle-long skirt and wrist-long sleeves. Part of her purple bra strap was visible because one of her sleeves had fallen down. She ran up to Usagi happily.

"Did you come to see me?" She asked happily, and Usagi nodded.

"Maybe you would like to play with Usagi now?" She held the baby out to the thirteen-year-old, and Hotaru's eyes got big.

"Won't she cry because I'm a stranger?" She asked nervously.

"I feel like she would still recognize her best friend." Usagi smiled. As if to further illustrate her point, Chibiusa giggled and held her hand out to Hotaru, trying to reach hers. Hotaru giggled and took the baby's hand, making her laugh again.

"She's so cute, Usagi. I'm sure everyone is jealous that you could find such happiness like this." Hotaru said quietly. She gently took Chibiusa from her mother and cradled her softly, although a bit awkwardly. Usagi guided her to hold her correctly.

"You have to make sure her head is balanced in your hand, like this." She said, demonstrating. Hotaru nodded and cuddled her best friend. They had a lot of catching-up to do, that was for sure. Hotaru took her over to her sandbox and started showing the baby all of her toys and started building a sand-castle for her. Usagi sat in the grass next to the box and watched them play with a smile on her face. Chibiusa couldn't grasp the idea of sand just yet, much preferring to chew on one of the shovels, but it was still a cute scene to witness. After several hours, Chibiusa grew bored and started crying, so Usagi had to pick her up.

"I'm sorry, I think she's hungry. I have to take her home, since all of her bottles are there. I hope you two had fun today though!" Usagi smiled and waved at Hotaru before running off, and Hotaru quickly waved back. Michiru came out into the garden, wearing the pink dress she was before.

"Michiru-mama, you should've seen me and Chibiusa-chan! We were having so much fun in the sand!" She grinned, standing up and brushing the sand off her dress. Michiru didn't say anything and instead watched her leave, a stern look on her face.

"She should hope no new threats come around, since there's no way she can be a good leader with a baby." Michiru said.

"You don't mean that? I'm sure Usagi-san could handle it just fine!" Hotaru shot back. "Earlier you were gushing over her baby!"

"Yes, but she shouldn't get used to it. She's out-of-shape, and if her baby is breastfeeding, then it'll be even worse."

"I just don't understand, you have to be hostile towards every descion she makes! Don't you trust our princess?" Michiru looked down at Hotaru, her eyes slowly softening. She smoothed Hotaru's hair.

"Let's go inside. Do you want something to eat? I still have leftover lunch in the fridge." She offered. Hotaru looked away from her and went back inside.

##########

Usagi had fed Chibiusa and put her to sleep in her crib when her phone rang. She picked it up curiously, and brightened when she heard it was Minako on the other line.

"Hey, Minako-chan! How are you? How's show biz?" Usagi grinned. All the Inner Senshi knew how much Minako loved to gush over her literal overnight fame. Today was no exception, of course. Unlike some of the other girls, she was in Japan still, but she was performing in Kyoto.

"Oh, you know how it is. Wonderful! People are constantly wanting to take pictures of my amazing figure, and people are always wanting to talk to me! Right now, however, I'm not singing, I'm modeling the latest autumn fashions."

"Modeling? Rei-chan said you were singing over there." Usagi asked in confusion.

"Well, someone told a lie somewhere, since I'm modeling. But enough about me, what about you? How's Chibiusa-chan? It's a shame I couldn't come over to see her. I'll bet she's really adorable!"

"She is. Everyone over here is constantly gushing over her. It's ridiculous. She herself is a little handful though, and you can tell she basks in it." She recalled the incident with Michiru's necklace, making Minako laugh. "Still, though, part of me is glad I went through all that trouble in the first place. She'll make an amazing friend to us when she gets older. She even knew who Hotaru-chan was!" Usagi said in amazement.

"Wow, that's impressive! She must retain some of her memories about us!" Minako said in equal amazement.

"Yes, but I'm not sure why. Either way, it can't hurt her, so I would just leave it alone."

"Oh, I gotta get going. It's time for an interview!" Minako abruptly hung up, without even a goodbye. Usagi put her phone up and checked on Chibiusa, who was still asleep in her crib. Finding nothing else to do, she went over to her vanity and started making different shapes out of her hair. She had just braided it when she heard Mamoru come through the front door, and she eagerly ran over to him and threw herself into his arms.

"Mamo-chan! You're home!" She gushed happily. He hugged her back, then gently nudged her off.

"I am, but you shouldn't be so forward with hugs. I'm coming home from work and you act like I've just come home from a war!" He teased.

"Sometimes it feels that way with how long you're gone." Usagi confessed. "I didn't cook dinner tonight, so I'm hoping you brought something home?" She gave him a very sweet look, and he chuckled.

"No, but I can cook dinner. It's not a problem." He hung his coat up and went into the kitchen. "Have you given Usagi her bottle yet?"

"Yeah, I did that shortly before you came home. She's asleep right now, so don't bother her." Usagi explained. "Speaking of which, why did we even name her that?"

"Don't you remember? It was all your idea. You wanted to name her after the person who saved the world five separate times." He grinned.

"Wow, I can be really egotistical sometimes."

"It's the truth."

Usagi couldn't argue with that, and instead started helping him with the dinner, doing whatever he needed her to do. Sometimes they exchanged several kisses over a boiling pot or chopped vegetables. Overall, the stew they had cooked was very delicious, but they accidentally made too much of it.

"What should we do with these leftovers?" Usagi asked, clearing away their plates.

"We'll just put them in the fridge and eat them tomorrow. We usually just eat leftovers anyway." Mamoru said, opening up their fridge.

"Yeah, but sometimes I wish you could come home to a meal _I've_ cooked. I'm not a very good housewife otherwise, am I?" She said sadly. She walked into the living room. Mamoru followed her and twirled her braid around.

"You take care of our baby, isn't that enough?" He asked.

"I bet Michiru-san makes a much better housewife than me." She grumbled. He spun her around.

"Don't compare yourself to your friends. You do what you do and that's the end of it. That personality is why I married you."

"Well, that and the fact we're destined to rule someday."

"That too." They passionately kissed each other.

#########

Meanwhile, in St. Petersburg, Ami had a very strange sense that something was going to go very, very wrong. She closed the book she was reading to a little girl and stood up.

"Is there something wrong?" The little girl asked worriedly. Ami smiled reassuringly at her.

"Don't worry, it's nothing you should concern yourself about. I just realized I forgot to make an important phone call to a friend of mine. If you don't mind..." The little girl nodded and Ami handed the book to her. "See if you can finish the story for me, alright?" The girl smiled, and Ami excused herself into the bathroom and pulled out her aqua cell phone. She quickly dialed a number and let it ring.

"Hello, this is Hino Rei. What sort of service do you request?" Rei asked on the other line, very formally. Ami introduced herself and the formal edge in her voice vanished. "Ami-chan? Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure. At work today I got a strange feeling that maybe something could go wrong. I figured you'd be the person to call and put my thoughts at ease. Can you please check for me, really quickly? If I'm right, then we'll have to get all the other girls involved and I'd rather not since only a couple are left in Tokyo right now." Ami spilled. She had a bad habit of talking too much when she was nervous. Rei was silent for a while, but eventually agreed.

"I'm not going to take the phone in there with me, but I'll call you as soon as I see anything." She promised. The two girls hung up on each other, and Ami pocketed her phone and walked back into the girl's room. She sat back down next to her again with a smile.

"Sorry about that. Did you manage to finish your book?" She asked. The girl nodded happily.

"Yes! I was quite surprised, since you know my eyes aren't very good, but I did!" She exclaimed happily.

"That's fantastic news! Shall we read another one?"

"No, I should rest so I can have my examination tomorrow. But afterwards, we can, okay?" The girl snuggled up in her blankets. "Don't tell anybody, but you're my most favorite doctor here, Dr. Mizuno." She closed her eyes, and Ami figured she should leave so she could sleep in peace. She closed the curtain around her bed and slipped out of the room. Rei still hadn't called her, so she had time to check in on another one of her patients. This patient was recovering from an intestinal disease, and was close to a coma, but his oral therapy had been very helpful. Ami checked on him in bed, but he was asleep. She still rearranged his room, tidying some things up. As she was pushing his slippers under the bed, she heard her phone chime and quickly slipped into the bathroom again so she could be alone.

"Hello, Rei-chan? Have you found anything?" She asked nervously. Her heart skipped a beat when Rei said she had.

"There's a new enemy out there, all right. I couldn't see their face very well in the fire, but I could make out that they had twelve minions. Chances are we'll have to fight them before we even have a chance at their leader." She explained.

"I see. Could you make out what their minions looked like?"

"Not very well. I could tell they were far from being humans, however."

"Thank you. I'll keep my eyes peeled here."

"No, you should come back to Tokyo. So many of the other Senshi are gone, and we'll need all the help we can get. Right now, the only ones here are me, Makoto-chan, Usagi, Hotaru-chan, and Michiru-san. That's not enough."

"They're strong enough. Besides, I can't just leave! I have a job now!"

"We all have jobs now. Usagi has a kid now. Still, we're all going to accept our destinies and fight this new enemy. So, are you going to be with us?" She hung up before hearing Ami's answer, assuming it to be a yes.

Ami placed her phone in her pocket and gripped the sides of the sink nervously. True, they were all adults now, with their own lives, but they were still going to drop those lives at the very existence of evil. But on the other hand, they had a chance to choose, and Ami felt like she enjoyed her civilian life too much. If she chose the latter, however, she knew her friends would never forgive her. She'd been through too much with them anyway, there's no way they'd let her leave so early. With a deep breath, she stepped out of the bathroom and walked past the boy's bed, then took off running in the hospital's hallways. She eventually came to the lobby, with the volunteer sign-in sheet.

"Yes, is there some sort of problem, Dr. Mizuno?" The secretary asked boredly. Ami looked at her.

"Yes, something's come up. Cross my name off the list, I'm going back home to Tokyo."


	2. Episode 2: Sailor Soldiers Makeup Again!

Shortly after Ami had gotten off her plane, she found herself rushing over to Rei's temple, amazed she still remembered where it was. Rei was outside sweeping the steps off, although she looked up when she heard someone approaching her. "Ami-chan! You came here very quickly! I was expecting you to show up in about a week or something!"

"No, the airports are never busy this time of year. Besides, Russia isn't that far from Japan. I also had to come quickly because you said a majority of the Sailors aren't here, and if there really is a new threat, that can be bad if we become outnumbered." Ami took a seat on the clean steps, and Rei sat down next to her after putting up her broom. "When do you think the enemy will appear?"

"There's no way to know. We'll just have to keep our eyes peeled. And above all, keep Usagi out of trouble. This is very horrible timing for anything major, since she's a mother now." She looked at Ami.

"Well, she's technically always been a mother, but back then, Chibiusa-chan was able to take care of herself."

"We should worry about these problems when they're actually upon us. In the meantime, you've had a long flight. How about you come inside for some tea? Or if you'd like, I could take us out to a cafe or something."

"No, I'm good. I should get back to my place and rest there." She stood up, waved at Rei, and hurried her way home. She couldn't help but wonder what sort of threat they'd be up against this time, and how much stronger it was compared to their other enemies.

########

Several days later, the Inner Senshi were sitting in a cafe, discussing what Rei had seen in her fire.

"Nothing will be stronger than our last enemy, that's for sure. She was a universal threat, and those are always the most powerful." Makoto said.

"How are we even supposed to attack something new? Our powers will be hopelessly weak, most likely. They usually are when we fight something new." Ami stated.

"I'm sure the Outer Senshi will help us. They always seem to be more powerful than us, no matter what." Rei suggested. They all looked for Usagi to suggestions, but she was looking down at her baby, feeding her another bottle.

"Usagi-chan, we want to know what you think we should do!" Minako said. This made Usagi look up, but she looked right back down. "Let's just forget it. This new enemy hasn't even shown up yet, so how scary or powerful could they possibly be?" After she said that, however, there was the crash of broken glass outside, along with someone screaming. The four Inner Senshi ran outside, nervous to see what was going on.

"Halt! We're not afraid to punish you!" Makoto called out, prompting the four to assume a battle position. The person in question turned around, revealing snow-white hair to her shoulders and sheep horns poking out. She grinned when she saw them.

"New little playthings! Great! Now come on, give me your Star Signs! Otherwise, I'll take them forcefully! And nobody wants that, now do they?" She snapped her fingers, and behind her formed a giant sheep-like monster with metal fleece. "Now, what will it be?"

"We can't fight her, we're not strong enough!" Minako worried.

"We'll never know unless we try! Mars Crystal Power, Makeup!" Rei announced.

"Mercury Crystal Power, Makeup!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Makeup!"

"Venus Crystal Power, Makeup!"

"We're the Four Inner Guardians of the Solar System, and we'll punish you!" The four girls announced, taking their signature poses. The sheep-girl yawned and snapped her fingers again.

"You know what to do, Metaloid! Stick it to them!" She pointed at the Sailors, and the monster obeyed, pulling some of its metal off and chucking it at them. The girls quickly dodged it.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" Sailor Mars launched her arrow at the monster and it hit its target perfectly, slowing the beast down a bit but not stopping it.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Sailor Mercury hit the monster with her attack, but it didn't dent it.

"I told you, we're too weak! We'll never make a mark on this monster at this rate!" Sailor Venus exclaimed.

"This would be a great time for the Outer Senshi to randomly show up like they always do and really pound this monster!" Sailor Mars said. The monster tore off more metal and threw it at her, wrapping itself tightly around her body and shocked her. She screamed and fell to the ground.

"Oh no, Mars!" Sailor Jupiter super-jumped onto the monster's back and did her attack, but found herself only able to slow it down. "Come on, we need some extra help!" Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus kept slamming their attacks into the monster from all different sides, but just like before, the monster was only slowed and not stopped. As they were starting to give up, Eternal Sailor Moon appeared out of the shadows.

"Ruining a young mother's feeding time, and ruining her friends' peaceful times alone! How dare you! That is the worst kind of evil there is! I'm Eternal Sailor Moon, and in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!" She did her usual pose and jumped right into the battle, helping Sailor Venus untie Sailor Mars.

"Sailor Moon! We were worried you'd never show up!" Sailor Jupiter exclaimed happily from the monster's back.

"If we could get the Outer Senshi here, then we'd have all the help we need!" Sailor Mercury said.

"I don't think I'll be much help. I only deliver the finishing blow, and this monster's not ready yet!" She cried out and dodged another piece of metal the monster threw. "Also, what is this monster's theme?"

"Who knows! Just help us!" Sailor Venus snapped. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" This time, the monster got a small dent in it, and it was enough to make the monster stop and look at it, but only briefly.

The girl who summoned it was laughing gleefully, quite pleased her monster couldn't be defeated. "How funny! You can't beat my buddy! What kind of warriors are you!" She mockingly stuck her tongue out at them, then nearly dodged Mars' attack.

"They say the worst kind of villain is an immature one!" Sailor Jupiter taunted.

"So, that's how you guys fight? Fine then, let's fight!" She snapped her fingers again, and the monster threw Sailor Jupiter off, making her hit the ground on her stomach. She slowly got up and launched another attack at it.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Jupiter Oak Revolution!"

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" After a while, the four girls felt very tired and drained of their powers, and were on the verge of giving up.

"This is too strong of a monster for us to fight by ourselves..." Sailor Mercury struggled to get up, but fell back down.

"My monster can't be defeated by the amazing, powerful, Sailor Senshi? How wonderful! Well, you know what to do!" The girl snapped her fingers and the monster threw several large chunks of metal at the girls. The chunks were all charged with electricity. The Inner Senshi were too weak to properly dodge it, so they covered their faces the best they could and waited for the impact.

"Silence Wall!" A young girl's voice cried out, and suddenly a light violet bubble surrounded the Inner Senshi. Eternal Sailor Moon watched as the metal chunks hit the shield, then harmlessly bounced back off. The girl seemed very unhappy by the sudden display of strong power and looked around.

"Who dares to ruin my monster's lovely magic?" She asked angrily, eventually looking up. On top of a small building stood Sailor Neptune and Sailor Saturn, looking quite proud of themselves.

"I'm the Senshi of the Seas, the graceful Sailor Neptune, here to charm you!" Sailor Neptune announced, striking a pose.

"And I'm the Senshi of Silence, the mysterious Sailor Saturn, here to mystify you!" Sailor Saturn spun her glaive around. They jumped off the building gracefully, landing perfectly on their boots.

"You guys were expecting us, were you not?" Sailor Neptune grinned and pulled out her mirror. "It looks like we came just in time anyway. Now, let's figure out why we can't defeat this monster! Submarine Reflection!" A ray shot out of her mirror and lit up the metal plates on the monster.

"They're supercharged with electricity and act as a sort of barrier from our powers," Sailor Jupiter noticed. "But that doesn't help us defeat it!"

"Isn't it obvious? What always shorts out electricity?" Sailor Neptune put her mirror away and aimed her next attack at the monster. "Deep Submerge!" This time, the large tidal wave took the colossal beast by surprise, nearly knocking it over. It was weakened, one could tell just by looking at it.

"Sailor Moon, now!" Sailor Venus directed.

"Oh, right!" She gently kissed Chibiusa's forehead and set her down in the alley, promising she would only be a second. She slipped out of her hiding place and pulled out her wand. "Silver Moon! Crystal Power Kiss!" Her wand flashed pink and showered the monster in the bright color. Surprisingly, the monster didn't react to being turned back into a plush sheep doll, but its apparent owner did.

"No! This just isn't fair! Nobody told me you had backup! I thought for sure I had outsmarted you dumb little girls!" The girl screamed, having a massive tantrum.

"There's a lot of things they don't tell about us." Sailor Saturn stated. "And now, prepare to join your monster!" The girls took fighting stances again, but the villianess just stuck her tongue out at them.

"No way, I'm done! Forget fighting you guys for a bit! I clearly have to go home and get an even stronger monster!" She unraveled a string of wool from her sweater, and it started glowing. "Remember my name, Aries! That's my name, and whoever was born under me shall pay!" She vanished.

"What an unusual villain! She took right after the famous Zodiac sign! Is this really what I flew all the way out here from Kyoto for?" Sailor Venus couldn't help grumbling. Eternal Sailor Moon had gone back to retrieve her daughter and was currently bouncing her in her arms slightly, a movement that was making the baby smile.

"You know how this usually goes. The weakest henchmen get sent out first." Sailor Jupiter stated.

"Yes, but she couldn't be very weak if we had that much trouble defeating her!" Sailor Mercury said.

"Either way, we now have a bit more of a clearer picture of what exactly we'll be up against this time." Sailor Mars said.

"Why aren't Sailor Uranus and Sailor Pluto with you? You four always show up to battles together." Sailor Mercury asked. A hint of worry edged into her voice.

"Oh, those two? I called them earlier and told them some new villains had shown up and Hotaru and I needed them to show up as soon as they possibly could. They promised they would, but they're not in Japan right now, so who knows how long it'll take them to arrive." Sailor Neptune explained. "Besides, both Saturn and I are very powerful Senshi alone. We'll be fine." She looked over at Saturn, who was currently gushing over Chibiusa again. Neptune sighed. "Well, she's powerful when she's serious."

"This is Sailor Saturn, the most powerful of the Sailor Senshi! She has the power to destroy an entire world!" Eternal Sailor Moon explained to the baby, a bit too overenthusiastic. Sailor Saturn jokingly posed. Chibiusa reached out for her weapon, but pouted when Saturn held it out of her reach.

"I'm sorry, but this weapon isn't supposed to be played with! And most of all, it's not a chew toy!" Sailor Saturn explained sadly.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to be telling her all about our Sailor identities? I mean, she's not a Sailor yet." Sailor Jupiter said. Eternal Sailor Moon shrugged.

"She has to learn eventually. Besides, I get the feeling she'll be involved in a lot more battles from this point on, so better to learn these strangely-dressed, highly-powerful women are still hers, and mine, best friends." She smiled.

"That's so sweet of you to say, Sailor Moon!" Sailor Venus gushed.

"Well, we only showed up here to help you, and we did that, so now we much leave. Come along, Saturn." Neptune directed sternly. She gently pulled the black-haired teen away from the baby and walked away with her into the distance, not looking back.

"I'll never understand those Outer Senshi. They feel like they're above it all, just because they're older. We've known each other for a really long time and it still makes my blood turn hot." Sailor Jupiter growled.

"I think it's more than age. I think it's their positions given to them, past, present, and future. Our jobs are to protect the princess, so we're always around the person we love the most. But they have to protect our solar system from outside threats, and they never have anyone to talk to except themselves. It's a very lonely life for them, to be sure. They probably aren't used to so much attention." Sailor Mercury observed. The other four were quiet after this, not really sure what to say. It was true, of course, but it was one of those things that remained truthful but never out in the open.

After they stood there for a long time, the four girls awkwardly bid each other farewell, detransformed, and went away to their own lives, all with the intention of appearing as normal as they had been just the day before.

##########

Usagi sat on the soft couch, watching TV and feeding Chibiusa another bottle. "Sheesh, how many bottles do you need in a day?" She teased. The baby looked quite pleased with herself for eating as much as she did, Ami once said her eating talents put her own mother's to shame. The show was mainly just background noise to Usagi at this point, who tuned it out an hour ago. It was some sort of celebrity tabloid show, she knew that. She recalled that back in the day, it was hard to ignore, since every other minute they'd be talking all about one of her friends. She wondered how her friends all became these huge stars and she was stuck at home, taking care of a baby she knew would grow into an even bigger pain in the future. She was about to turn the TV off when she heard the interviewer say the newest celebrity they were going to talk to was an increasingly famous young pop idol who called herself on-stage 'Love Goddess'. Well, that obviously had to be Minako-chan, so Usagi left it on and started actually paying attention.

"So, tell us Aino-san, first off, is it okay to call you that?" The interviewer asked nervously. Minako nodded. "Alright, Aino-san. Where exactly does the inspiration for your songs come from? They're all mainly about love, sure, but some of these lyrics are very empowering and beautiful. They stand out in today's music industry, which is mainly just the same stuff."

"Well, I can't exactly say where." Minako said. Her friends knew her songs came from the trials she dealt with as a Senshi, that's how most of the artistically-talented Senshi got their muse. This wasn't just something you gave away on public television, though. "The most I can tell you is that my life is not a very easy one. Sure, some people just see the easy-going, fun-loving, sorta ditzy pop star and fashion model that I show myself as. My friends often see that too. But I have another sort of secret life going on that really brings out my serious side. I think that's the side that comes up with these songs half of the time." She said, very seriously. Normally, Usagi would've tightly pulled her hair because of Minako being very specific about her Sailor duty, but today, she didn't feel that. It was most likely her outfit. It was teal and navy-blue, with red ribbons tightly wound around her arm in a spiral. Her normally-red bow was replaced with a frilly teal one, with giant red pom-poms popping out. Overall, the outfit made her resemble a comedic butterfly. She wore it once, back when she was almost sixteen, and it fit her then. Now, not only was the design horribly 1990's, but the chest area seemed particularly tight.

"I see. Do any of your friends make appearances in these songs?" The reporter nodded.

"Elements is a song that talks about nine of my best friends. They have these spiritual qualities about them, in a way, so this song talks about the goddesses of several elements, an obvious reference to my friends. None of them really like this song though, which is disappointing to me, to say the least. Another one of mine was more of an event than a person. It embodies the feeling of your friends falling in love, and having their hearts stolen from them. But you're not among them. You try your absolute hardest to make yourself look appealing, to show off that you want your heart taken too, but they're not buying it, and right when you're about to give up, there comes your heart, right out of your chest!" She winked. Usagi's eyes widened when she realized what event she was referencing. She took the bottle out of Chibiusa's mouth and started burping her, still paying attention to the TV.

"You feel these sorts of emotions very strongly, don't you?" The reporter persisted.

"Oh yes. I'm a very emotional person. I'm not really sure why, it's just who I am, I guess. I mean, all my friends are emotional too, but somehow mine are just able to come out easier."

Usagi finished burping Chibiusa and went into the kitchen to throw her bottle into the sink. She had meant to do the dishes, but lately they had been piling up behind her back. She'd get to them when she got to them. She didn't sit back down and instead bounced her baby in her arms slightly as she watched TV. She was still doing this when Mamoru came home from work several minutes later. Chibiusa was starting to fall asleep, but when she laid eyes on her father, her eyes quickly popped back open. She reached her arms out to him in a desperate attempt to have him hold her. Usagi laughed and gave him their daughter.

"What are you doing?" He glanced over at the TV. "Oh, that's Minako-san, isn't it?" Usagi nodded.

"She's talking about how we inspire her songs. It's no wonder she's famous. Her voice is fine but her lyrics are the true selling point." She turned the TV off, figuring Mamoru would have no interest in it.

"All these songs, and not a single one about me?" He teased, kissing her deeply. She broke the kiss off for a second to answer him.

"You don't remember her song about the masked hero who always rescues his princess from danger?" Usagi teased back, then kissed him again. Chibiusa grew impatient at their kissing and squirmed around in Mamoru's arms, breaking their kiss off again.

"Usagi must be sleepy." He suggested. Usagi nodded and took her from him, carrying her into the master bedroom and laying her down in her crib. Instead of relaxing, however, Chibiusa just squirmed around in her crib. Usagi turned her mobile on with a sigh, hoping the melody would soothe her enough. It didn't seem to, but at least she stopped squirming. She strode over to her mirror and started taking her hair down so she could sleep. As she was brushing her hair out, Mamoru came up behind her and took her brush away and started brushing her hair himself, although he was quite clumsy at it.

"Mamo-chan? What are you doing?" She asked in surprise. "Please don't wake Usagi." She warned.

"I want to ask you about what you and the other girls saw today. The monster you were fighting?" He asked, his voice turning serious. She quickly matched her tone to his.

"To be honest, I'm not sure who or what it was. She looked very much like a ram or something, and called herself Aries, like the Zodiac sign. After we defeated her monster, she swore that anyone born under her sign would be sorry, then she left." She recalled.

"Then she's planning on attacking people with birthdays born under that sign. Rei-san is one of them, isn't she?" Usagi nodded. "Then tell her she's got to be the one to defeat this thing."

"We couldn't defeat it though. At least, not by ourselves. Then Michiru-san and Hotaru-chan showed up and weakened it way better than we ever could. Our power is lacking, Mamo-chan, and as a leader, I can't help but be concerned. What if this same enemy attacks us again?" Mamoru pulled on a rough curl and made Usagi cry out in pain.

"I'm sorry about that, Usako. Anyway, if you're concerned about not being strong enough, then why don't you just ask Rei-san if she saw anything relating to a new transformation in her vision? I bet the way to unlock a higher level of power is to defeat the different Zodiac signs that is yours, and then you'll get the power boost."

"That does seem very logical." She jumped up from her seat. "Alright, I'll call Rei-chan tonight and see what she says. Chances are, the answer is yes!" Mamoru kissed her again.

"There's the determined Usako I married."

########

Meanwhile, Hotaru was finishing up her homework when she heard a knock on the front door. She looked over at Michiru, expecting her to answer it, but she was deeply invested in whatever song she was practicing on her violin, so Hotaru reluctantly put her book down and went to answer it. Once she did, however, her smile grew so wide it couldn't possibly be contained on her face anymore, and she tried desperately to throw herself into the arms of two people.

"Setsuna-mama! Haruka-papa! I can't believe you're home at last!" She managed to finally latch onto Haruka, who grabbed hold of her hands and spun her around playfully. "Whee! This is so much fun!" After a while, Haruka let go of her.

"And you know what else we bought for you while we were away?" Setsuna teased. She pulled several cupcakes out of her bag. They were in a plastic case and were coated in orange and yellow frosting. Fall cupcakes. Hotaru's eyes got wide at them.

"Those are only for good little girls who eat all of their dinner first!" Michiru teased, walking over. She still hadn't put up her violin. It still remained balanced against the leg of her stand. Hotaru pouted, but quickly ran away to set the table for dinner. Setsuna followed her to put the cupcakes in the fridge, leaving just Haruka and Michiru alone. Michiru started to put away her violin, waiting for Haruka to start a conversation with her. When she didn't, Michiru eventually took the bait.

"So, how was racing in L.A. like? How was California? Was it as hot as everyone says it is?" She teased. She snapped her case shut and propped it against their flat-screen TV.

"It wasn't as thrilling as I thought it was going to be. I beat all the races they put me in, which used to be fun, but now it's just boring." She looked away.

"Then maybe you need some sort of new thrill in your life." Michiru smiled slyly. "Did you hear about our new enemies?"

"Yeah, you called me about it earlier. It was nearly midnight over there!"

"Sorry. Did I interrupt your beauty sleep?" Michiru slowly glided over to where Haruka was and ran her fingers along her lips. "Because it's not something you need much of."

"That's exactly what I missed while I was away in America."

"Then why don't you come find it?" Michiru tried to run away, but she was giggling so hard she only managed a few feet before Haruka grabbed hold of her arm and embraced her. "Your grip has gotten stronger..."

"If there really is some sort of new enemy out there, you know I'm not bothered by them at all because you're still here."

"But Haruka, you say that all of the time!" She started to say something else, but was cut off by Haruka kissing her romantically on the lips. Michiru wasn't one to argue with such things, so she started kissing her right back, wrapping her arms around her neck. They remained like that for a while until Setsuna came in and cleared her throat, causing the two of them to quickly break away in embarrassment.

"Dinner's ready, if you two are hungry. I'd suggest sitting down anyway, since the topic of discussion will be over Sailor business. I understand you and Hotaru saw some action today." Setsuna said seriously. Michiru nodded.

"What's for dinner?" She asked nonchalantly.

"I didn't cook this, Haruka did."

"Oh dear." Michiru teased. Haruka glared at her slightly.

"There's nothing wrong with my cooking! This is actually a dish I learned in California, it's baked chicken with salad greens!"

"Okay, the salad doesn't sound like it will kill anybody."

"I'm telling you, there is nothing wrong with my cooking!"

"Kitten, last time you cooked dinner, you somehow set the sink and stove on fire, and we ate your food anyway to be nice and we were all sick for a week."

"That was one time!"

"What about your ice cream sundae incident of '98? Does that ring any bells?"

"If you two are quite finished, the dinner is getting cold, and Hotaru and I are very impatient to get started." Setsuna left the room, and the couple quickly followed her. They all took their usual spots at the table and started eating quietly.

"How come you guys get to drink wine, and I don't? All I get is cherry soda!" Hotaru announced.

"You're too young to drink wine, sweetie. Although it's not much of a privilege." Michiru said before taking a drink of hers.

"What exactly happened earlier today, involving the enemy?" Setsuna asked.

"Well, Hotaru and I only showed up for the later half, as traditional Outer Senshi way is. The Inner Senshi weren't doing a very good job at attacking it, but that's not an insult on their part. Their powers are too weak to face off on this enemy right now, which is very concerning. This is usually when the ultimate enemy sends one of their weaker henchmen to deal with us, and if they couldn't even beat her, then what does that say about the rest?" Michiru worried.

"But we defeated the monster really easy, didn't we, Michiru-mama? I just put up my shield, and you attacked with your signature attack, and you totally weakened the enemy!" She sprung up out of her seat at this point and was standing on her chair, waving her fork around like her weapon.

"Hotaru, sit down and eat." Haruka directed. Hotaru just stuck her tongue out at her.

"There must be some sort of task the others must do before they're strong enough to defeat everything. We might need to upgrade too, in time, but seeing as we're still able to weaken the villain as is, I wouldn't be too concerned about it." Setsuna sipped some of her wine.

"The girl called herself Aries and said anybody born under her would pay. I know Rei-san is born under that Zodiac sign. Perhaps she must defeat her before getting stronger?" Michiru suggested. The other two nodded.

"Sounds logical." Setsuna agreed.

"Hotaru, will you sit down and eat your food, for the last time! I'm not asking you again!" Haruka shouted. Hotaru threw her fork down onto her plate, but still refused to sit.

"I know a certain little girl who isn't getting cupcakes after dinner! Her mom and dad will just eat them all up!" Michiru threatened. This made Hotaru gasp and quickly sit down. The three went back to eating, but Hotaru decided her fun wasn't done yet. She was full, so being sent from the table wasn't a concern. She quickly pulled a piece of skin off of her chicken and hurled it at Michiru, covering her mouth when she saw it had gotten stuck in her hair.

"Excuse me, I'm leaving the table now. Good night!" She announced quickly before darting off. Setsuna stood up and looked after her.

"Hotaru? Where are you going?" She ran after her. Michiru ran her fingers through her hair absentmindedly and got disgusted when she found the chicken in it.

"So, is this how much you missed me?" She took her entire plate and jokingly dumped it onto Haruka, then tackled her to the ground. "It's a very strange gesture."

"I wasn't the one who did that, kitten. I'm pretty sure it was Hotaru."

"Well, it got my attention. Didn't some little kitten say she missed her lover while she was away in L.A.?"

"Shouldn't we clean up first?"

"Why should we, if we're just going to get even messier?" Michiru planted another kiss onto Haruka's lips before she could protest, thus ending the night for the Outer Senshi.


	3. Episode 3: Mars' New Transformation!

The next day, Usagi put on her usual pink long shirt that resembled a little dress, her black shorts, and her pink ballet flats and hurried over to Rei's temple to tell her what Mamoru told her the previous night. Unfortunately, this was one of the shrine's busy days, so Usagi had nothing to do except stand around awkwardly and wait for Rei to make her sales. She could tell Chibiusa didn't like the extra activity either, since she squirmed around uncomfortably in her arms. Several middle-schoolers stopped to look at her.

"Awww, what an adorable little baby you have!" The tallest one in the group complimented, which a big grin on her face. "I bet she has the most wonderful name too." Usagi looked over at her at this.

"She has my name." She said simply. The tall girl nodded as if it made sense, but the other girls just looked confused.

"I hope you have good luck in your future life, you and your husband both!" The tall girl said, then she walked off. Usagi's smile faded slightly when she heard some of the girls whispering about how she looked way too young to be having children in the first place, and she resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at them. It wasn't their business when she chose to have children, now was it? She lifted her chin up high and looked away. Rei came over to her while she was like this, a pink rattle in her hands.

"Were those girls bothering you?" She asked kindly. Usagi nodded. "Don't mind them. I could tell their comments were starting to get to you, and they shouldn't. They have never experienced the sorts of things you did at their age, and they never will. The fact you can still give birth after all the attacks you've endured is something amazing!" She grinned at this, making Usagi glare at her.

"I don't see you trying!" She argued.

"I have nobody to try it with, nor do I want to." Rei held the rattle out for Chibiusa to grab. "Is she interacting with toys yet? If so, I thought she might like this. It's noisy, but it'll distract her. If she can't figure it out, though, I'll just put it back where I found it."

"Where exactly did you find this?" Usagi asked in partial worry and partial disgust. Rei laughed.

"Nowhere bad, don't worry. Grandfather always keeps a chest full of my old baby stuff around, in case women or older girls come around here with babies and need some extra things." She explained, holding the rattle out to Chibiusa again. The baby didn't take very kindly to her imposing aura, so she buried her face in Usagi's chest.

"I think your spiritualism scares her," Usagi observed.

"She's not the first, and she won't be the last." Rei rushed back inside to put the rattle up, then went back outside. "Now, I know you're not here to just chat with me, although that would be very lovely. You're here to tell me something important relating to Sailor business. So come on, spill! What is it?" She sat down on her temple steps and gestured to the one next to her. Usagi sat down next to her and plopped her daughter onto her lap, making sure to support her.

"I wanted to tell you that since you're born under the Aries sign, and the villain refers to herself as the Aries and takes after the sign, maybe if you defeat her, you'll unlock your new transformation." She started nervously.

"Yeah, I figured as much. How am I supposed to defeat her like that though? I'm not very powerful anymore, and she might show up again today."

"All you need is a little practice!" Usagi jumped up enthusiastically. "Come on, let's start!" She ran around to the side of the temple, where Rei kept several archery targets. Rei ran after her.

"I don't think just hitting targets will improve my attacks." She informed Usagi.

"It can't hurt to try!"

"Alright, but only because you're so insistent." She pulled out her henshin stick. "Mars Crystal Power, Makeup!" She found herself standing in front of her best friend in her Super Sailor Mars form. "What attack do you want me to work on, Usagi?"

"Your Mars Flame Sniper, since it's an arrow and these are archery targets." Usagi had pulled several of them out in front of Sailor Mars, although the line was crooked. Mars sighed and formed her attack, although not firing it.

"Stay out of the way, this thing will really hurt you if you get hit." She directed, and Usagi nodded and stepped over to the side. Mars stared at the far-off target, putting all of her focus and concentration on it. She drew her bow and arrow, and fired it, amazed when the arrow hit very close to the target.

"Great job! Keep going!" Usagi cheered. Mars grinned. It helped to have Usagi as your own personal cheerleader sometimes. She formed another arrow, drew it, and fired again, hitting the target right in the center. She did this several more times for each target, only moving on when she hit the target's center three times in a row. Needless to say, it didn't take her very long to move, and when she reached the end, she simply gathered up all of her arrows and started again. She was focusing intensely on the last target when the sound of a loud car horn pierced the air around them, and thus, broke her concentration. The arrow strayed from the target, hitting the ground dangerously close to Usagi's feet. She cried out and jumped away from it.

"Who broke my concentration?" Mars challenged, spinning around in several directions and pointing her arrow in every single one of them. No monsters came out of the forest, so she assumed it was just a freak accident and relaxed her pose. She tensed up again when she heard the horn again. "Who is it? They're awfully impatient!" She griped. Usagi peeked around the corner cautiously, but a smile quickly formed on her face.

"Rei, it's Haruka-san and Michiru-san! They want to take us out!" She exclaimed. Rei detransformed back into her priestess robes.

"How can you be so sure? They could just be trying to annoy me."

"Ask them yourself!" Usagi ran away from her and over to the bright yellow Ferrai, leaning over slightly to talk to them. "That's why you guys are here, right? To take us out?"

"Of course we are, silly!" Michiru giggled. "We were just driving by, but we heard your twos' voices and we figured we'd reward your hard work!"

"It wasn't very much hard work on her part," Rei said, slipping into the conversation. "She figured if I practiced with my abilities more, I'd be strong enough to defeat this Aries character." She leaned in a bit further and whispered to the couple: "Personally, though, I don't believe her. All she did was make sure my aim was perfect."

"Good aim can make a big difference." Haruka smiled slightly.

"So, are we going or not?" Michiru asked. Usagi agreed and quickly climbed into the car's backseat, making sure to buckle herself in tightly.

"Wait, you don't have a car seat! Isn't this really dangerous for a baby?" Usagi worried.

"We rode in this with Hotaru when she was a baby, and she turned out fine." Haruka shrugged.

"She didn't have a car seat either. I remember, I sat here in the front and held her! Just the way you're holding Chibiusa-san right now." Michiru added.

"Don't call her Chibiusa yet! Call her by her real name, Usagi!" Usagi demanded.

"Oh, so now there are two of them? Whatever shall we do?" Haruka teased.

"That question was for you too, Rei-san. Are you coming with us?" Michiru asked again.

"I guess. I had nothing better to do today anyway. Just let me go and get changed." Rei said, running inside to put on casual clothes. She put on a long red sweater, black leggings, red pumps, and a drop-gem necklace. She also brushed her hair out quickly and grabbed the pink rattle again, just in case Chibiusa changed her mind. She then ran back outside and hopped into the car. She buckled herself up.

"That's a lot of red you're wearing." Michiru noticed.

"Is that wrong? You two wear a lot of blue!" Rei said. Michiru just giggled. Haruka started the car up again and drove off in it really fast, making both Usagi and Rei gasp in surprise. They quickly got settled into the speed, although Rei kept lamenting the fact she should've tied her hair up so it wouldn't keep blowing into her face.

"Here, I have an extra hair tie you could borrow." Michiru offered, about to open up her bag.

"No thank you, I'm good." Rei declined. For the rest of the ride, she kept a very firm hand on the hair she wasn't sitting on to prevent it from blowing. "And to think, I had just brushed it too. No wonder you two keep your hair short."

Usagi had been looking out at the scenery in boredom. Chibiusa suddenly decided she hated the dizzying speed they were going and started crying. Usagi held her closer and started rocking her gently. "Do you guys think you could stop soon? She really hates the speed you're going." Usagi asked.

"Maybe she'll pay more attention to the rattle now?" Rei offered. She pulled it out and held it out to Chibiusa, who grabbed it away from her but refused to play with it. Usagi kept rocking her, trying her best to soothe her.

"How far away is the place you guys are taking us, at least?" She tried asking them again.

"Oh, it's this really nice place in the middle of downtown, you guys will love it!" Michiru answered. "It's only a few minutes down the road, I swear."

"That's good news!" Usagi said. She kissed Chibiusa's forehead, but it did nothing to calm her down.

"I can't really say I blame Usagi-chan for getting upset over these fast speeds," Rei started. "Haruka-san's always driving at physically impossible ones and for some reason, the rest of you guys just go along with it."

"Because it's fun!" Michiru cheered. They kept driving along for about another minute or two until Haruka eventually turned her car down a road and parked in front of what Usagi and Rei assumed to be the restaurant, although the outside just looked average. Michiru and Haruka got out of the car, and Michiru helped Rei out of her seat with a flourish. "Here we are! The food is really good here, especially their fugu!" Rei paused at this.

"Alright, then I suppose I won't leave as early as I planned to." She teased, stepping out of the car herself. Haruka helped Usagi out of her seat, taking care not to startle Chibiusa, who looked extremely worn-out from the unexpected ride. The four went inside. Usagi and Rei had their breaths taken away by how much fancier the place was on the inside compared to the outside. Even though nobody was really dressed-up, the two felt ridiculously under-dressed and a bit childish in their clothes. The hostess looked up at them approaching, then quickly smiled a bit when she saw Haruka and Michiru there.

"I was starting to get worried when you guys didn't show up for your bi-weekly dinner earlier this week! It's so nice to see you back again." She commented.

"This week has been a very hectic one for us." Haruka said. "Oh, but it's not just us today. We have two friends with us." She stepped aside with a grin, revealing Usagi and Rei. The hostess' eyes lit up at the sight of the baby.

"And one of them is already a mother! How nice!" She gathered up four menus. "So, the usual table? Or how about a bigger one in the back? Since your usual table only sits two..."

"No, we'll take our usual. We can just pull extra chairs up!" Michiru said.

"Alright. Follow me, then. Although, since you know your seats so well, maybe you can show your friends instead?" The hostess teased.

"No, maybe you should show us," Michiru said. The hostess just shrugged and led them to their usual table, a romantic-looking one with a vase of red roses in the center. Usagi and Rei got in on opposite sides, then Haruka and Michiru got in. Usagi blushed as she felt Haruka slide her chair a bit closer to hers. The hostess gave them their menus and quickly left, only to be quickly replaced by a shy waitress with blue-black hair.

"Tenoh-san, Kaioh-san! It's been a while! And...who are your friends...?" She asked, suddenly looking away when she noticed there were new people.

"You don't have to be shy about them. We invited them for some lunch here just because we could!" Michiru giggled.

"That sounds like a really irresponsible way to spend money." Rei commented.

"Well, I can get you two your regulars, but I don't know what those two want." The waitress nervously pointed to Usagi and Rei with her pen.

"I heard you guys had really good blowfish. I'll just take a small serving of that." Rei asked softly. She handed her menu back to the waitress. "Oh, and to drink, I suppose some green tea." The three looked over at Usagi, who hadn't even touched her menu yet. She was too busy trying to prevent Chibiusa from grabbing the big flowers and accidentally breaking the vase. Eventually, she figured everyone was waiting for her to order, so she quickly rattled off an old favorite of hers that she always got on dates with Mamoru.

"Just a chocolate cherry cheesecake and orange soda, please!" She grinned, but nobody grinned back. She realized she must've made some sort of terrible mistake and tried sliding into her seat. Even Chibiusa lost interest in the roses and was staring her mother down. The waitress recorded the order and twirled away, leaving the three girls to continue staring at Usagi. "What did I say that was so wrong?" She demanded. "I always ordered that while I went on dates with Mamo-chan, and he never found anything wrong with it! And I ordered it at really fancy places, like this!"

"I think it's more of your blunt nature." Rei suggested.

"Also, who would order soda at a place like this?" Michiru added. "Even Rei-san ordered tea!"

"It's alright, bunny, I'll let you sip a bit of my wine if you want. Just a sip though, since you're only nineteen and probably breastfeeding." She winked. Usagi scooted her chair a bit further away and felt her cheeks blush pink.

"I'm not breastfeeding..." She barely managed.

"Oh dear," Rei covered her face up with her hands.

"I wouldn't call this dinner a disaster so soon into it!" Michiru joked. For a while, everyone was quiet except for Usagi, who was trying to show Chibusa how to play with her rattle. The baby eventually got the hang of it and started shaking the rattle really loudly, making some people from the nearby tables look over.

"Usagi, stop it!" Usagi whispered at her. Chibiusa ignored her and kept doing it, making Rei cover her face up again. "Usagi!" She said firmly. The people around them kept staring at them, making Michiru cover her face up too.

"This is why you're the only person here with a baby, Usagi!" Rei hissed.

"At least she's not crying!" Usagi hissed back. She grabbed the rattle and pulled it away from Chibiusa, who looked at her in slight irritation. "That's right, I took it. And you don't get it back until you learn to play with it quietly. Can you do that for me?" Usagi secretly prayed that Chibiusa could understand her. The baby kept staring at her, so she gave the rattle back. Chibiusa didn't play with it again, instead putting it into her mouth and sucking on it.

"At least it's quiet." Rei said, removing her hands from her face. The waitress came over shortly after, giving them their food and also a glass bottle with baby formula in it.

"Just in case she's hungry..." She said. Instead of leaving, however, she pulled up another chair and started making small talk with Haruka and Michiru as if they were close friends.

"You two manage to meet the most interesting people." Rei commented, sipping her tea.

"We're just charismatic in that way." Michiru giggled.

"I'm not very good at talking, but they are...and they seem to really like shy girls..." The waitress blushed and looked away.

"We don't just like the shy ones," Haruka flirted, taking the waitress' hand. Michiru glared at her a bit. Usagi reached over for the bottle, shook it up a bit, and tried to give it to Chibiusa, but she turned her mouth away from it.

"Strange, she's not hungry." She shrugged and put her daughter in her lap. She started to eat her own food. The waitress looked over at someone who was yelling for her, and she jumped up.

"I'm sorry, they need me in the kitchen really quick. I'll be back soon, I promise! I hope..." She nervously rushed away. The four girls kept eating, not saying anything until a young woman with snow-white hair walked up to their table.

"Excuse me, but are you Hino-san?" She asked happily, peeking out from the top of her sunglasses. Rei looked at her suspiciously.

"Yeah, what did you want?" She put her fork down and gave the woman her full attention.

"I'm doing an interview for a magazine on various shrine owners who are also women, and I heard you own yours?" The woman smiled a bit.

"Yes, I do. I suppose I could do an interview with you, but only an extremely quick one." She didn't pull up any extra chairs, and even Michiru kicked away the empty chair from the table. The woman sniffed slightly, but simply shrugged and pulled out a notebook.

"So, what's it like working there? Is it hard work?"

"Not really. I have to manage fiances, sell good luck charms to people, offer them readings, clean the place up...it's not very hard." Rei shrugged and took another bite of her food. The waitress came back.

"I had to deliver some more food to other tables..." She hastily explained. The woman suddenly turned her head in her direction and threw off her sunglasses.

"You! You are an Aries!" She announced suddenly, making the waitress gasp in shock.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She cried.

"You were born under my month, and therefore, you shall pay!" The woman threw off her suit, revealing sheep horns poking out of her head, dark blue eyes, and a knee-long tan sweater made out of wool. "They call me Aries, or simply The Ram! And now, I must see your Star Sign!" She crossed her two index fingers in front of the girl's face, and she suddenly cried out as a dull white Aries sign threw itself out of her chest. Her eyes glossed over and she fell to the floor. "Darn, not a real one. Oh well, you'll still turn into a sheep like me, so it's all good!"

The girl's hair suddenly turned into black wool, and her ears pricked up and resembled sheep ears. Horns grew out of her head, and a little black tail poked out from under her dress. Her mouth grew large fangs and her eyes turned multicolored. She jumped up and spun around. "I'm Mecha! Nice to meet you!" She growled, grabbing a random tray and chucking it at the nearest table. Everyone ran off screaming, except for the four girls.

"Let's go, we have to transform!" Usagi directed. The three nodded and ran off in different directions, while Usagi just ducked under the table. The monster had found out she could throw wool blankets onto people that could suffocate them or tie them up, and she was having a gleeful time with it, throwing them at any random people she could find.

"How about you stop making such a mess of this place and a mockery of my sign?" A voice called. Aries looked over at it in irritation.

"Who interrupts me this time?" She demanded. Super Sailor Mars stepped out of the shadows.

"Born out of the fire and flames, I'm the enticing Sailor Mars! Just admit defeat now and make it easy on us!" She did her usual pose.

"Us? There's more of you?" Aries challenged. Uranus and Neptune stepped out of the shadows and posed beside Mars.

"And don't forget about me, their lovely leader!" Eternal Sailor Moon announced, coming out of the shadows in front of their table. "I'm the pretty guardian who fights for love and justice, I'm Sailor Moon! And in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you for ruining our dinner!" She taunted. She didn't do her usual pose since her arms were wrapped around Chibiusa, who had somehow fell asleep at some point during all this.

"I can't believe this! You guys actually think you can defeat me and my monster, with a baby! I don't think I'll stick around for this, since I've seen it all!" Aries mocked.

"I can still beat you, even with a child!" Eternal Sailor Moon promised. Uranus and Neptune glared at her coldly.

"You aren't going anywhere!" Mars said, shooting an arrow at her and pining her to the wall. "I'll finish you off and get my new transformation, I swear on it!" She formed another arrow and put it at the girl's throat. "Uranus, Neptune! Deal with the monster!" She commanded.

"Gladly!" Neptune pulled her mirror out again. "Submarine Reflection!" A beam shot out and hit the sheep-girl, causing her to scream and fall to the floor. She quickly flicked her wrist and shot out another thick blanket, but Neptune narrowly dodged it.

"Mars! Flame Sniper!" Mars called, quickly firing her attack at the monster then focusing on Aries again. "I can't take my eyes off of her, I trust you guys will be fine?"

"How many times have we done this?" Uranus teased, pulling out her sword. The monster threw another blanket at her, but Uranus just cut through it. With the two constantly firing attacks and dodging the blankets, the monster quickly grew bored and focused her attention on Eternal Sailor Moon. She was just standing off to the side, rocking Chibiusa in her arms so she wouldn't wake up. Aries grinned when she saw the look on her monster's face.

"Yes, go get their leader! Then their morals will be destroyed, since both their leader and her child will be dead!" Mars thrust her arrow harder into Aries' neck. The monster slowly got up and flicked her wrist at Sailor Moon, who didn't pay attention to what was going on until she heard the three yelling at her to duck. She panicked when she saw the tight blanket flying towards her and quickly kicked it off to the side, her foot getting a small shock from it.

"What the heck? You can't just attack a mother like that!" She yelled. She pulled out her wand and carefully set Chibiusa down on the floor to use it.

"You can't refresh her yet, she's still not weak enough!" Neptune warned. "She could resist it!"

"It'll be fine, I promise." Eternal Sailor Moon smiled a bit, then used her refreshing attack. "Silver Moon! Crystal Power Kiss!" It hit the monster, and despite Neptune's warning, it worked.

"Beautiful!" The girl cried out, falling down to her knees. Her Star Sign quickly fused back into her chest, and her appearance returned to normal. She fell unconscious.

"Now, we've defeated your monster. Next, it's you!" Mars smirked. Sailor Moon picked Chibiusa back up and walked over to Mars.

"Do you need any help?" She offered, but Mars shook her head.

"No, I have to do this alone." She put all her focus into her bow, and let it fire. "Mars! Flame Sniper!" She yelled, stepping back as the arrow hit her target right in her chest. Aries screamed.

"How dare you? Better yet, how could you? You're too weak!" She fell from the wall. "Well, you could've beaten me, but can you beat the eleven remaining members of the Zodiac? I bet you cannot!" She finally gasped again, then faded away. Normally their villains left something behind as they were defeated, but somehow, she left them empty.

"Huh? What happened? Shouldn't I have gotten a new transformation?" Mars asked, shortly before being awashed in a dark red glow. Her uniform changed until it was practically the same copy of Sailor Moon's, except in red and without wings. Her henshin stick transformed itself slowly into a star-shaped brooch. After her outfit changed, she slowly spun around in it. "I'm now...Eternal Sailor Mars! Yeah, that sounds about right..." She stated.

"This must be our new transformation." Uranus observed.

"No fair! My design is no longer unique! Please tell me I'll get a new one too!" Sailor Moon cried. Neptune giggled.

"Who knows? You might be stuck as Eternal Sailor Moon forever, watching as your friends steadily grow more and more powerful than you." Uranus teased.

"Guys, I think this waitress is waking up!" Eternal Sailor Mars announced, making the other three look over. The four quickly detransformed right as she woke up.

"What happened? My chest hurts...and this place is trashed! What happened?" She looked around in a panic.

"A strong gust of wind suddenly blew in and tore this place apart!" Usagi explained dramatically. "It scared everybody else off, but we're not afraid of anything, so we stayed to make sure you were okay!"

"Your chest hurts because you probably got sick. That's also why you passed out, most likely." Michiru explained gently. She offered her hand to help the waitress up, and she took it with a deep blush on her face.

"There's no point in even finishing our dinners anymore, since this place is destroyed!" Rei said. "Although, that blowfish was really good..."

"I think your guys' food might be fine. I just have to wrap it up...oh, and you still have to pay for it too..." She explained.

"Wrapping it up would be great!" Usagi exclaimed.

"And I'll pay for it, so you guys don't have to worry! Haruka did say we would pay for you guys." Michiru grabbed her bag from her chair and pulled out her wallet. "Can I just give you guys my credit card? I don't feel like feeling around my purse for money..." The waitress just nodded.

"You do that anyway..."

"Wow, a real credit card! So fancy!" Usagi gushed.

"What, Mamoru-san doesn't give you any?" Haruka asked. Usagi shook her head.

"I mean, I guess it's because I never asked for one..." Usagi walked over to the table and picked Chibiusa's pink rattle back up, gently setting it next to her in her blanket. The waitress busied herself with wrapping up their food, then she presented it to them.

"Come again, I guess...and your baby is really cute..." She stammered. "But why is her hair pink if yours is blonde...?"

Usagi shrugged. "Genetics?" She offered lamely.

"Come on, Usagi, we much get going!" Rei started nudging Usagi out the door, with Haruka and Michiru following behind after sharing goodbye to the poor waitress. The four girls climbed back into the Ferrai and sped away back home.

"How about we just drop you two off at your houses? It's been a long night, and you both need to rest and think over what happened today." Haruka offered, then turned down the road that led to Usagi's and Mamoru's house without hearing her answer. Usagi gently rocked Chibiusa, hoping she wouldn't wake up and start crying again over the speed.

After a while, they reached her house, so Usagi climbed back out and thanked them quietly.

"Don't mention it!" Michiru smiled.

"We're always happy to help someone like you out, bunny!" Haruka winked again, then quickly sped off again. Usagi went into the house, knowing Mamoru was already home and probably finishing up his own dinner.

"Mamo-chan? I'm home!" She announced. He peeked in from the kitchen.

"Usako!" He walked over to her and kissed her cheek gently. "I was wondering where you went."

"Haruka-san and Michiru-san took Rei and I out to dinner. Then a monster attacked, but Rei defeated Aries, so now she's Eternal Sailor Mars!" She poured out in a rush. She offered her wrapped-up cake to him. "It's cheesecake from the restaurant. Do you want to share it with me? It's really small though..."

"That sounds quite lovely after dinner." He carefully took the cake from her and unwrapped it on the table. "It's chocolate cherry, your favorite!" He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"Usagi's really worn-out from today, so she's still asleep. I'll go put her in her crib." Usagi said, then she went to go do it. She took the rattle out of her blanket and put it in a pair of shoes she barely wears, then kissed Chibiusa's forehead again. She walked back into the kitchen, where Mamoru was cutting the cake slice into an equal-sized slice for the two of them.

"Your food, dearie." He handed it to her, and she laughed.

"Calling me 'dearie' doesn't suit any one of us, Mamo-chan! You should just stick to Usako!" She dipped her pinkie into some of the frosting and licked it off.

"That sounds like a plan!" They sat down at his table and didn't talk for the entire time they ate. Usagi had already told him what happened that day, and besides, there was always when they were getting ready to sleep to talk, wasn't there? Usagi was the first to finish her food and quickly stood up.

"I'm going to get changed for bed." She announced, then rushed off. She pulled her hair out of her usual style and brushed it out, then put a green bow in the back. She changed into her dark green pj set and quickly got into bed. Shortly afterwards, Mamoru came in, changed into his usual dark blue ones, and got into bed next to her.

"So, you said Rei-san got her new transformation today?" He asked.

"Yes, she was really excited about it! I wonder who will be next to transform?" Usagi wondered. She sat up in bed to think about it, but Mamoru pulled her back down to kiss her again.

"You look so much like Minako-san with your hair like that." He noticed.

"So? Is she prettier than me now or something?" She challenged, making him laugh.

"No. If she was, I would've married her, wouldn't I?" She laughed in response and kissed him.

"Can we do it tonight? I really want to..." She asked sweetly, cuddling up with him. He ran his fingers through her hair, then nodded. "But what about Usagi?"

"She's sleeping, I'm sure it's alright." Usagi simply shrugged, partially because she found no way to argue against that, and started kissing him passionately. He returned it, playing with her hair again. She got on top of him and kissed him deeper. And thus ended the night of the lovely married couple, who are destined to rule someday soon.


	4. Episode 4: Ami and Minako Power Up!

Ami and Minako had volunteered to work with elementary-schoolers with their homework, a task Minako found tedious and also wondering why they asked them to help in the first place.

"Don't you get it, Minako-chan?" Ami asked as they were walking to the school on their first day. "Having a well-known celebrity teaching the kids can do wonders for their self-esteem. If they see how well someone like you, for example, did in school, then they'll want to work extra hard so they can be just like their idol!"

"But I didn't do well in school." Minako protested.

"Yeah, but they don't need to know that." Ami giggled. She ran her eyes up and down Minako's outfit quickly, partially wishing there was time for her to go home and change. She was wearing black thigh-highs, red sneakers, a pink checkered shirt that almost went to her knees, and even longer red pleated skirt, and a tight red vest. Overall, the effect was very 1990's, and Ami wondered if she even had any current fashions at her house. She knew she was wearing a simple blue sweater-dress with a matching cap and a blue checkered scarf tied around her collar.

"Well, no need to stand around here, let's go!" Minako shouted, grabbing Ami's arm and dragging her inside the school with her. She ran them into the office, startling the secretary there.

"Oh, goodness! That scared me!" She adjusted her glasses. "Anyway, you two must be the new helpers for Mikawa-sensei's class, correct?" The two girls nodded. "She's on the top floor. Her students are currently doing English right now. You two can help her with anything she needs. You can also help the kids with their lunch and cleaning up after the day ends." The two girls nodded again.

"Thank you very much. I promise we'll do our very best!" Ami responded nicely. Minako just waved at the secretary and started walking up the stairs to the classroom. Ami ran to catch up with her.

"This class is a sixth-year class, right?" Minako asked out of boredom.

"I believe they're fourth-years..." Ami responded. Soon enough, the girls found themselves in front of the door, and quietly knocked on it so they wouldn't disrupt the teacher's lesson. A young girl slid open the door and smiled at them.

"Hi there! We were just finishing up our daily reading! Next up is our science lesson!" She explained, before the teacher brushed her away to her seat.

"You two aren't exactly on time, but you aren't late either, so I suppose I'll let it slide. Just sit off to the side and don't say or do anything until I ask for you, alright?" The teacher commanded. Minako and Ami gravely nodded, then sat down on stools on one side of the classroom.

"Wow, she doesn't mess around, now does she?" Minako whispered to Ami, who just shushed her. "Come on, she can't punish us if we whisper super quietly! Besides, sitting here for hours on end with nothing to do? That's pure torture! She can't do that to innocent little girls like us!" Without realizing it, Minako had jumped onto her stool and posed, distracting all the kids from their lesson. Mikawa-sensei glared at her, and she quickly fluffed her skirt and sat back down, looking away from the kids for the rest of the lesson. After they had their reading and science lessons, they had some free time, and the girls found themselves being surrounded by kids curious to talk to the celebrities in their class.

"You're so cool, Mizuno-Ishya! I want to be a doctor just like you when I grow up!" A little girl said cheerfully to Ami.

"Awwww, just keep up your studies and you might just become a doctor one day!" Ami smiled.

"You're amazing! You helped my dad with his two broken legs!" A boy gushed. Minako found herself being adored by a huge group of girls, many of which had hair as blonde as her.

"I wanna become a singer just like you, Aino-sama! Wanna hear me sing?" One girl asked excitedly. Minako nodded. The girl started singing shyly, and while her voice was nothing special, she certainly had talent, Minako couldn't deny that. When she was done, the girl looked at her nervously for her advice, but Minako just patted her head.

"You have a lot of talent, that's for sure!" She praised, and the girl's face lit up. The other girls just wanted Minako's autograph, and so she provided it. The teacher had gone over to her desk to talk to a much younger, prettier looking teacher, but the girls couldn't make out what they were saying over all the noise.

After the girls signed all their autographs, Mikawa-sensei told the children to line up for lunch, and after the group left happily, the two teachers slid the door shut loudly.

"Oh, we're not helping with lunch? I thought they said we were..." Ami asked in confusion.

"I don't care, I'm not hungry anyway." Minako added. The teachers simply smiled.

"You won't be the ones who are doing the eating!" The younger one grinned, then ripped her clothes off to reveal she was the exact image of an angelic young girl, complete with angel wings. "I am Virgo, and all those with my sign shall die!" She snarled. The other teacher had pulled her outfit off to reveal a long dress with math equations written all over it, and in her left hand she held an unbalanced scale.

"And I am the Libra! I too shall make people with my sign pay!" The two glared at the girls.

"Not again! I am so sick of fighting already!" Minako pulled out her henshin stick.

"Well, sometimes we have no choice!" Ami pulled hers out as well.

"Venus Crystal Power, Makeup!"

"Mercury Crystal Power, Makeup!"

"We are just two of the Inner Senshi who guard this solar system, but we can still beat you!" The two swore, pointing at the monsters.

"I would assume we fight the one with our sign. So, in that case!" Venus jumped up and attempted to kick Libra, only for her to step out of the way and make Venus crash onto the floor. "Hey! That's not fair!"

"You can only beat me by balancing my scale..." Libra mocked.

"Fine! Then take this!" She quickly got back up. "Venus! Love and Beauty Shock!" She fired her attack at the scale, knocking it right out of the villain's hand.

"That's not fair! I said you had to balance it!" She protested, making Venus smirk.

"Who's fighting unfairly now?"

Meanwhile, Mercury had busied herself with trying to find the best spot to hit her enemy from that wouldn't be very obvious. Virgo kept staring at her in confusion, wondering why she wouldn't attack.

"That's a first, a monster who won't attack first! Mercury! Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury fired her attack at Virgo's wings, making them wrinkle up and fall off her back. She cried out.

"My lovely wings! Now I cannot fly away! You'll pay for this dearly!" Virgo kissed her palm and sent a flurry of flowers out to Mercury, slicing up her arms with the sharp petals.

"I wish we had some sort of help! Venus! Love and Beauty Shock!" Venus hit Libra again, then used her chain whip attack to throw her against a wall.

"I think you're doing well by yourself..." Mercury kept ramming her attack into Virgo, making her lose more and more of her angelic beauty. At this point, her hair had been cut to her shoulders and lost all its curls, and her blue eyes had turned a dark red.

"Why won't you two just give up? You two aren't very strong by yourselves!" Virgo mocked, before Mercury hit her again.

"We're still trying our best!" Venus aimed her next attack at Libra's scale itself, hoping it breaking would make the villain leave her alone. Amazingly, it did, and the villain vanished, leaving behind only the shattered scales.

"Mercury! Don't worry, I'll come help you now!" Venus called, doing her attack again on Virgo. This villain was a lot stronger than Libra, and Venus found herself unable to affect her that much.

"No, she's my sign! She should be just mine to fight!" Mercury told her, then told her to stay back.

"Is someone too weak to defeat me?" Virgo smirked, despite the fact she no longer resembled the beautiful angel she started out as.

"No, in fact, I like to think I'm beating you!" Mercury sent out one last attack, which finally did her in. Virgo screamed as she vanished, leaving behind only a white feather.

"Yes! We got them!" Venus cheered. Suddenly, both her and Mercury were surrounded by warm glows, which slowly changed their uniforms into Eternal outfits. Their henshin sticks turned into matching brooches.

"Wow, we're finally Eternal..." Mercury breathed.

"We should hurry back and tell the others! I'm sure they'd really want to hear!" Venus suggested. She detransformed and started to run out of the class.

"Wait!" Ami yelled after her, already in her normal clothes. Minako looked back at her. "Don't you think we should probably clean this place up a bit first?" The two girls giggled awkwardly.

############

The Inner Senshi met again in their favorite cafe to talk about the two new Eternal members of their team.

"We're powering up at a faster rate than we usually do..." Ami noticed with a worried tone.

"Either that, or the villains are weaker than they usually are." Rei suggested.

"I wonder who will be the next to transform? Hopefully me!" Makoto smiled.

"No, you're always shut up in your bakery all day! No monster in their right mind would ever come near you!" Minako laughed. Makoto stepped on her foot lightly in irritation and made her cry out in pain. "Hey, don't do that! You're way stronger than any of us!"

"Sssssh, you'll wake Usagi!" Usagi scolded them. She went back to rocking her baby.

"Maybe we should go out somewhere today." Makoto offered. "After all, we've been working too hard at this Sailor business for the past couple of days after not doing it for several years. No wonder we're tense! Let's go to the beach!"

"Are you kidding? It's November! Too cold for such things!" Ami answered.

"Besides, where-ever we go, we'll probably be mobbed by fans. A majority of us are famous, you know." Rei said bitterly.

"It never stopped Haruka-san and Michiru-san before, now did it?" Minako asked. Her face suddenly lit up and she pushed her drink away. "I got it! Let's go out dancing!"

"As in ballroom dancing?" Ami asked hopefully.

"No, like a dance party! Alcohol, laser lights, skimpy clothes! The life I now lead will be yours lives! Come on, how could you possibly say no?" Minako cheered.

"You're too young to drink...we all still are..." Makoto said.

"Nonetheless, it still sounds like a fun enough idea! I'm willing enough to go." Rei stated.

"Then let's go!" Minako jumped out of the booth and ran for the door, waiting for the four to catch up.

"Wait, I can't go with you guys! I have Usagi!" Usagi said, looking down at her baby.

"We can just drop her off at the Outers' place or something. After all, they've looked after a baby before, right?" Ami suggested.

"It's worth a try! Michiru-san did say she would babysit!"

So all the girls piled into Minako's convertible and sped off to the mansion, their hair all blowing in the wind. They got to the mansion in record time, finding Setsuna watering some flowers beside their walkway. She looked up at the sound of the car.

"Oh, what are you girls doing here? Did you need anything in particular?" She asked nicely.

"We need a babysitter really quick!" Minako explained, pointing over to Usagi's daughter. Setsuna came over to the car to look at her.

"Oh, this must be Small Lady, isn't it?" She asked softly, taking the baby from Usagi. "She's so beautiful. Does she still remember us?"

"I think so. She grabbed Hotaru-chan's hand the other day, so I would say yes?" Usagi answered awkwardly.

"Small Lady, it's me. Can you remember?" Setsuna asked her, and the baby slowly opened her eyes and looked at her. She giggled and reached out for her. "I knew you'd recognize me. You and I are going to become very best friends." She kissed Chibiusa's forehead, and the baby giggled again.

"Okay, you two have fun with that! Now, we're off to go dancing!" Minako announced, driving the car off at a very fast speed.

"Minako-chan, are you sure this speed is even legal on this road?" Makoto yelled at her, but Minako just shrugged.

"Maybe you should slow down then! It wouldn't be good if you got a ticket!" Ami struggled to raise her voice over the noise.

"Who would ever give a speeding ticket to one of the most popular singers and models in Tokyo? Nobody sane, that's for sure!" Minako laughed, and the girls just sighed and didn't bug her about her speed for the rest of the drive. She eventually pulled up to one of the best-known dance clubs in the city, although there weren't a lot of people there due to the time of day. "Alright, let's go!" Minako shut her car off and quickly jumped off, leading to a bunch of people waiting in line to glance at her.

"Oh my gosh, is that really the Goddess of Love, the hottest singer in Japan?" A girl gushed.

"Aino-sama, let me have your autograph!" A guy yelled out.

"I want to at least touch your silky hair!" Another girl called out. Minako giggled and flipped her hair, causing the crowd to go crazy.

"You really enjoy milking your fame, don't you?" Rei asked. Minako only nodded. They started to get in line, but the bouncer saw them and motioned them over.

"You guys get to go in before anybody else. You know, because you guys are here with the Goddess of Love!" He said, opening the door for them. The other four walked in normally, but Minako waved at him happily. They walked into the club, which was really loud and very dark. The only lights came from the various multicolored laser lights flashing on the ceiling. A loud song was playing, threatening to topple the roof over. Minako promptly ran onto the dance floor and started dancing to it, feeling like she was in her element.

"Well, you have to admit, she may be hopeless at ballroom dancing, but she's really great at club dancing!" Rei said.

"Why don't we go join her? We all came here for some fun, after all!" Makoto ran onto the floor as well and started dancing to the best of her ability, which was mostly being shadowed by Minako's moves. Rei and Usagi eventually joined them, but they all decided that nobody could dance as well as Minako could. Ami sat down at a table and tried to get out of dancing, but Usagi grabbed her hands and pulled her onto the floor anyway.

"Come on, Ami-chan, have some fun! Live a little!" Usagi laughed. Minako had jumped onto the bar counter and kept dancing, shaking her hair all around. She also had somehow managed to lose her vest at some point earlier in her dance, although her shirt was still buttoned up. On and on the girls danced, seemingly never growing tired.

While they were all dancing, a girl with black sunglasses on was watching Makoto dance curiously. She grinned when she realized what this girl was, and quickly ran into the bathroom and pulled out her cell phone.

"Mistress? I found another one of the girls!" She grinned.

"Oh? Is she a target?"

"No, but she was born under my sign. I wanted to get both her and the real target! That way, I'll get both their Star Signs!"

"Very good, my lovely! So tell me, who is your target?"

"A very sickly boy who just wants to own his father's bakery someday. I heard this girl loves bakeries and owns her own. It would be the most perfect trap!"

"You are wonderful at your job. Unlike my others so far, they've all been foolishly defeated. I have my hopes for you, though. Don't let me down!" The woman quickly hung up, and so did the girl. She slipped out of the bathroom and back into the club, trying to make herself look as normal as possible. Finally, she made her way over to Makoto and tugged on her ponytail. Makoto quickly spun around to look at her.

"Oh, what did you want?" She asked, not unfriendly.

"I heard you own your own bakery, right?" The girl asked sweetly.

"I do!"

"There's a boy that lives several streets away from your own who wants to own his own bakery someday, but is afraid he won't manage it properly. I'm his...sister, and he wanted me to ask you for some help, since you run yours so well!"

"Okay. What time does he want me over there?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. Well, goodbye! Don't let my brother down!" The girl waved and ran off, and Makoto stared at the distance in confusion.

"Makoto-chan, is something wrong?" Ami asked.

"That was a very strange girl I saw just now...and it was a very strange offer." She responded.

"What did she offer?"

"To help her brother out in his bakery. I feel like I should be wary of it."

"You should go, but keep your guard up. After all, you can't be too careful with all these recent attacks!" Rei chimed in.

"Alright, then I'll go! The girl was very strange though. She even smelled like hay! Who smells like that?" Makoto asked.

"Maybe she owns animals? It's not that uncommon of a profession." Rei suggested.

The girls continued dancing for who knows how long until Minako eventually leaped off the counter and rounded everyone up, saying she was tired and longed to go home.

"What about your vest though?" Usagi asked.

"Oh, I didn't even realize it was gone!" Minako answered cheerfully. Her cheeks were flushed red. The five girls quickly left the club and jumped back into the car, but Ami told Minako maybe somebody else should drive.

"Huh? Why?" Minako asked before giggling.

"Minako-chan, please don't tell me you drank anything strange tonight." Makoto said.

"I might've drank a bottle of this one drink this one guy gave me who said it would improve my dancing!"

"Minako-chan! You drank sake! You're tipsy!" Rei said in shock.

"I thought our days of getting randomly and accidentally drunk were over..." Ami said in embarrassment.

"That happens to me ONE time and all of a sudden you guys act like it was illegal!" Usagi cried. "I mean, it was, but you don't need to keep reminding me of it! That was, what, like four years ago or something?"

"How about you let me drive us home, Minako-chan? You just take my seat and sleep." Ami offered nicely.

"Yeah, sleeping sounds nice. I wanna sleep right now!" Minako giggled and switched seats with Ami, although very clumsily. Eventually, Minako got herself settled back in, and Ami revved the engine up.

"Wow, I didn't know you actually knew how to drive, Ami-chan! You never offer to drive us anywhere!" Rei said in surprise.

"Well, I don't really like driving that much..." Ami explained. She drove off, first to the mansion to go pick up Chibiusa, who was most likely causing all sorts of trouble for the older girls.

Apparently, she hadn't, since Setsuna seemed very sad to be parting with her.

"Did she cause you any trouble?" Usagi asked, but Setsuna shook her head.

"Oh no, she was a very well-behaved baby for us. She mostly slept, although every so often she tried to grab something to chew on. I gave her an old toy of Hotaru's to chew on, I hope you don't mind?" Usagi shook her head. "If you guys need us to babysit her again, please do! It's always so nice to see those guys' faces light up at the thought of taking care of a baby, especially our future princess!"

"I thought I was the future princess!" Usagi said.

"No, you're our future queen!" Makoto teased.

"It was nice seeing you again, Setsuna-san!" Ami said, driving the car off again. Unlike when Minako was driving earlier, Ami kept the car at a very steady pace, which the girls were thankful for. She dropped Makoto off first, then Rei, then Minako, and finally Usagi.

"This isn't your car, if you drop it back off at Minako-chan's, you're going to have to walk back home, and you live near the Outers!" Usagi cried.

"I'll be fine, I'm sure." Ami waved and drove the car away, so Usagi waved back. She unlocked her door and walked in, amazed to smell dinner being cooked and Mamoru-san watching some TV.

"Usako! You're home!" He said happily, getting up to kiss her.

"Yeah! Did you know I went out with the girls today? I think I told you, but I'm not sure." Usagi said. He nodded.

"You've been spending a lot of time with them lately."

"Is that wrong?"

"No, do whatever you want. They're your friends, after all." He went into the kitchen. "Dinner's almost ready. How about you see if Usagi's hungry, then come eat with me?" Usagi nodded.

"I think Setsuna-san might've already fed her, but who knows. She also said she mostly slept all day." Usagi unwrapped the blanket from Chibiusa and threw the blanket in her crib. "Well? Are you hungry?" She asked with a wink. Chibiusa just looked up at her. Usagi went into the kitchen and started preparing a bottle for her, testing the milk's temperature on her skin then trying to feed it to the baby. Chibiusa happily took it, drinking the bottle while looking up at Usagi.

"Wow, somebody was hungry!" Mamoru joked, smiling at her.

"Don't focus on her too long, otherwise she might stop drinking and ask you to play with her." Usagi directed sternly. She sat down at the table and continued feeding her, but by the time their food was placed on the table, the milk was all gone.

"She's drinking faster and faster every day." Mamoru noticed, taking a seat as well.

"You think she's ready for solid foods?" Usagi asked, placing the empty bottle on the table. She started eating her own food.

"Maybe. Try it the next time she's hungry and see. Mash up some apples or carrots for her, or something like that. If she has trouble eating them, then maybe you should wait another month or something." Mamoru suggested.

"No, not carrots, Mamo-chan! She hates carrots!" Usagi freaked out jokingly.

"That was past Usagi. Maybe in this reality she likes them?"

"They're both the same Usagi!"

"So at some point in our lives, we're going to send our Usagi to meet us in the past?"

"Yes."

"I studied at Harvard and I still can't wrap my head around that!" They both giggled.

"Maybe that's why she still remembers everybody?" Usagi suggested. Meanwhile, Chibiusa had fallen asleep, showing just what she thought about their conversation. "Oh, she fell asleep again. Hold on, I'll go put her in bed again." She slowly walked into their bedroom and gently laid Chibiusa down in her crib, wrapping her up in her blanket again. Then she kissed her forehead, turned off the lights, and went back into the dining room to finish her dinner with her husband.


	5. Episode 5: Makoto's Desires to Bake!

The next day, Makoto woke up surprisingly late in the morning for somebody like her, but she figured she'd be fine since she still had an hour and a half left before she was supposed to report to the boy's bakery. She showered, put on a tight black turtleneck, a dark green pencil skirt, and some green heels, and also brushed and put up her hair. She was quite proud of her outfit choice for the day, since black wouldn't stain as badly as white. She quickly grabbed her bag and headed out, hoping she wouldn't get herself lost since the girl gave her virtually no directions whatsoever.

Despite this, however, she found herself being guided by some unseen force to the bakery, and she stepped inside and greeted who she assumed to be the boy's father.

"I'm Makoto, where is your son?" She asked happily. The man stared at her in some confusion, but luckily, the girl from the previous day jumped out of the kitchen.

"Oh, Papa, didn't I tell you this girl was going to come by today to help Ayumi out in the shop today?" She giggled and watched her father go back into the kitchen. "Don't mind him, he's getting old. Anyway, yes, my brother has been waiting for your arrival!" At the mention of his name, a young boy with pale skin ran in. "Here he is, right on cue! Ayumi, this is Makoto-san! Be nice to her!" The girl giggled and went into the kitchen as well. Makoto wasn't quite sure how to greet the sickly-looking boy, so she merely bowed a bit.

"Well, your sister has already introduced me, I'm Makoto-san! Oh, but if that's too much to remember, then you can call me by my nickname, Mako-chan!" She smiled sweetly. The boy simply nodded. "So, want to start baking?" The boy nodded again, so Makoto went behind the counter and tied one of the white aprons around herself.

"You're...very pretty." The boy complimented shyly, and Makoto looked at him. "You look like you know your way around a kitchen..." His gaze fell briefly on her hands. "No ring..." She looked at her own hands.

"Yeah, I'm not married." She shrugged and went into the kitchen to help bake, but Ayumi followed her.

"Why not? I'm sure some guy out there would love a girl like you for a wife. You're very pretty, and look like you're good at cooking..." He looked away from her. "You can help me with our strawberry-cream cheesecake first. It's very popular." He suddenly directed, tying on an apron of his own and marching into the kitchen. Makoto followed him, rolling up her sleeves and clearly eager and ready to learn from him.

"So, what's first? I'm assuming these are all the ingredients you need, right?" She asked, and he nodded.

"First, we make it like we're making any other old cake. You know, add flour, sugar, butter, eggs..." He rattled off very quickly, and Makoto found it amazing she was able to keep up with it. "Since this is a cheesecake with strawberries in it, you might want to add some cream cheese into the mix at this point..." He kept guiding her through the recipe, which she decided to be fairly complex after she had done it all, and after one cake was placed in the fridge to cool, he asked her if she could make the next one without his assistance.

"I suppose I could. After all, it didn't look hard at all when you did!" She praised, and Ayumi looked away to hide the blush forming on his cheeks. She took out some of the cookware she'd need, then starting carefully and slowly placing the ingredients in the bowl, almost seeming like she wanted the young boy's approval. After she mixed everything up, she briefly looked to him for some sort of approval, and he quickly nodded.

"You did very well for a first-timer." He praised quickly. "Most workers here have trouble grasping a recipe like that, but not you. You got it instantly."

"It's just my talent, I guess." Makoto giggled. She placed this mix in the fridge along with the other, then shut it. "How long do they cool before we cook them?"

"About four hours, so we have lots of time to kill." The boy struggled with jumping on top of his counter to sit on it, but he did it eventually, though he looked worried he couldn't come back down. "How about you tell me how you got so good at baking?"

"Well, it was something I was always good at, I guess. My parents died when I was very young, so I had to take care of myself. I just knew I had to get good at cooking and throughout the years I just got better, I suppose." Makoto explained, a bit shyly. She didn't want this boy to pity her for being an orphan. Luckily, he didn't seem to.

"Wow, that must've been quite the learning experience for you! What are your favorite things to make?"

"Hearty meals, like meatloaf and cherry pie!" The two giggled. "I think my specialty is with desserts though. That's why I thought opening a bakery was the best choice instead of just a restaurant."

"Any other interests?"

"I also really love flower-arranging! When I was younger, I really wanted to open both a bakery and flower shop, but sadly I don't have enough money for both right now."

"Stupid economy." This made them giggle again. "I wish I could take over this bakery for my father, but he says I'm too sickly to do it." As if to prove his point, he suddenly coughed violently, leaning over. Makoto's eyes glossed over with fear.

"You don't seem very sick to me though." She stated.

"Well, I'm at one of my strong points right now. When I'm at my worst though, I can't even get out of bed. That's why my skin is so pale."

"Well, I think you could run a good bakery, even if you're bedridden. Just make everything overnight! Or, even better, hire some help!" She winked. The boy's eyes lit up briefly at this.

"No, I couldn't ask you. You said you own your own bakery, and you look like you work in it by yourself. Plus, you're not married and most likely a university student. I couldn't ask you to work even harder than you need to." He apologized.

"I'm not in university, so it's alright! On slow days, I don't mind stoppng by to help you out!" She offered with a grin on her face. Ayumi's eyes lit up again.

"Seriously? Do you actually mean that?" He asked in disbelief, and when Makoto nodded, he hugged her tightly. "Thank you. But promise me you won't overwork yourself, okay?" She nodded again and hugged him back.

Meanwhile, while they were talking, the girl decided the boy was happy enough that she could capture what she wanted from him. She quickly flicked her wrist at the boy, and he suddenly cried out, pulled away from her, and clutched at his chest.

"What's wrong?" Makoto asked in alarm. "Are you having a seizure?"

The girl suddenly jumped into the kitchen, grinning at the boy. "Perfect! Give me your wonderful Star Sign!" The buff-colored sign of an arrow came out of his chest, and the girl simply frowned. "Well, _this _won't do at all, now will it?" The boy fell off the counter, and Makoto screamed. "Scream though, that is good!" The girl laughed, and Makoto glared at her.

"Who are you?" She demanded, standing on the counter and taking a fighting stance.

"So glad you asked!" The girl ripped off her clothes, revealing dark curly hair, dark brown eyes, and tan skin, along with her whole lower half being the body of a horse. She formed a golden bow and arrow in her hands. "I am the sign known as Sagittarius, and since you two are born under my sign, you shall pay!" She fired her arrow at Makoto, but she jumped out of the way, making the arrow go long. "Damn! I missed you!"

Makoto quickly ducked behind a nearby wall and transformed herself into Super Sailor Jupiter, then jumped back onto the counter. "Hey! Whatever you're doing, I command for you to stop right now!" She directed.

"Ugh, another bothersome Sailor Senshi. Well, I'll just take your Star Sign too and just be on my way!" Sagittarius grinned and fired another arrow at Jupiter's chest, but she jumped away quickly again, making her arrow miss. "Just stand still!"

Ayumi groaned from his spot on the floor, then he slowly got up and was surrounded by a bright blue light.

"He's transforming into a monster! Well, I didn't get your Star Sign, but you can still have fun with my monster!" She waved and vanished, despite Jupiter's protests. She quickly focused her attention back to Ayumi, who had turned into a centaur with a very sweet-looking theme. Rather, he was all covered in candy and syrup.

"Cakeria! I'm going to give your sweet tooth a treat you'll never forget!" He promised, throwing a plate of brownies at Jupiter, who dodged them.

"That doesn't even make sense as a threat! Supreme Thunder!" Jupiter yelled, slamming her attack into him and hitting him right on target the first time.

"Hey! You can't burn desserts,they won't taste good! So have some of this!" He threw sticky cupcake frosting onto her, pinning her to the wall. She struggled against the restraints, but found them growing tighter and tighter until she was rendered motionless. The monster grinned at her. "Now, taste my candy and suck on my giant lollipop!" He pulled a giant lollipop out from somewhere and shoved it in Jupiter's face, trying to aim for her mouth.

"There's no need for all this..." She nervously laughed. Before the monster could shove it into her mouth, however, it got knocked out of his hands by a blast of fire. Jupiter eagerly looked over and found the shadows of the other Inner Senshi standing in the kitchen's doorway.

"A sickly boy turned into a perverted monster? What's wrong with the world today?" Mercury asked.

"And attacking our best friend? Now we really won't forgive you!" Mars taunted.

"We're the guardians of the solar system, the Inner Senshi, and we'll punish you!" Venus finished off.

"You guys came!" Jupiter exclaimed happily. Eternal Sailor Moon nodded at her and smiled.

"Venus Wink Chain Sword!" Venus yelled, forming her chain chain into a golden sword, then jumping up and slicing the monster with it. He cried out in pain.

"Mercury Aqua Mirage!" Mercury called, blasting him with a strong wave of water. He collapsed to the floor after this, and Mercury looked over at Eternal Sailor Moon. "Now, Sailor Moon!"

"Right!" She pulled her wand out again. "Silver Moon! Crystal Power Kiss!" The blast hit the monster, surrounding him in pink light.

"Beautiful!" He cried, turning back into his human form and falling onto the floor. His Star Sign went back into his chest. The frosting on Jupiter's wrists and ankles vanished, leaving her almost falling to the floor before she regained her balance again. She ran over to him to see if he was okay, then went over to the other girls.

"Your Eternal forms look great!" She grinned. "I love how your lipstick matches your outfits, although Mercury's looks a bit strange. Your lips look frozen!" The other girls giggled at Mercury, who looked away from them.

"I wonder when I'll get my new transformation? What do you think it'll be?" Eternal Sailor Moon asked in excitement.

"Who knows? This is supposed to be your last and most powerful form. I don't think there even is anything after this." Mercury shook her head.

"There has to be one more after this one, there just has to be!" She cried. They all looked over at Ayumi suddenly, who was struggling to get off the floor. Jupiter looked back at them and mouthed that they should leave, and she herself quickly detransformed. She ran back over to his side.

"Makoto-san?" He asked wearily, and she said she was there. "I had a dream...that the Sailor Senshi rescued me from a monster!" Makoto giggled.

"Really? Sounds like a nice dream. I always have dreams like that. I wonder what kind of people they are in real life?" She wondered.

"Sorry for passing out on you like that." He blushed and slowly got up.

"No worries, I understand. Because of your sickness." He nodded and looked away, so Makoto decided to change the subject. "You think those cakes are ready yet?" He ran over to the fridge and pulled it open, then shook his head at her.

"No, not yet. I'd say they have about three and a half more hours to go." He shut the fridge.

"Aw, that's too bad! Well, maybe we could make something else while we wait? Maybe something a bit quicker?" She suggested, and he agreed.

"That sounds like a great idea! What else are you good at making?"

"I'm great at making mochi-flavored ice cream, have you ever had that? It's late November, so there probably won't be much of a crowd for it, but hey, you never know!" She started to pull out another pot.

"No, I've never had it. I don't really like ice cream." He shook his head.

"Well, you'll love this ice cream!" She helped him in getting everything he needed, then she guided him through the cooking process. As they were cooking, her four friends somehow found themselves standing in the kitchen's doorway.

"We're here again!" Minako grinned.

"Again? Were you here before?" The boy asked in confusion. Makoto quickly glared at Minako for saying that, and she covered her mouth. "Anyway, you guys aren't allowed back here. The kitchen is off-limits to customers!"

"No, it's okay. They're my friends!" Makoto beckoned them in, and they slowly stepped in, making sure not to knock anything over.

"Wow, your friends are all very mature-looking! Are any of them university students?" Ayumi asked in amazement.

Ami giggled. "I take it you don't see very many girls out of high school? I'm Ami Mizuno, and I'm a doctor! I was recently in St. Petersburg doing some volunteer stuff!"

"A doctor! So I suppose you see a lot of action, huh?" Ayumi asked.

"I guess? Like usually my cases are very mild, and I only work with children..."

"You'd have to be blind not to notice me though!" Minako suddenly announced, jumping in front of Ami. "I'm the famous and mystical Goddess of Love, a brilliant and beautiful pop singer!" She flipped her hair.

"I don't think I've heard of you." Ayumi shrugged. "Then again, I don't listen to very much pop music."

"My friends are way more important and famous than me though!" Usagi smiled. "I'm just a simple housewife!"

"I can tell, look at your gorgeous engagement ring!" Ayumi announced. Usagi looked at it.

"This? I've had this ever since I was sixteen and my now-husband left to go study in America. I know a couple with even flashier ones than me!" She put her hands on her heart. Makoto finished the mixture they'd need for the ice cream.

"Okay, now we just have to freeze this, and then in an hour, we'll have ice cream!" She winked. "I made some for you guys too, so don't worry!"

"I can't digest ice cream very well." Rei announced.

"Silly Rei-chan, that never stopped you from eating it with us when we were younger!" Minako grinned.

"I'm with Rei-chan on this, I'm not very hungry right now." Ami looked away.

"Do you guys assume I'm going to poison you or something?" Makoto laughed.

"Of course not! Usagi-chan and I will gladly eat their portions instead! Right?" Minako asked, and Usagi nodded happily. Ayumi giggled softly.

"Makoto-san, your friends are so energetic! I wish I could have friends as nice as them!" He said, and she looked over at him.

"Don't you have any friends?" She asked.

"Not really. My family are my only friends. I guess I've never really tried, since I'm usually shut up in this kitchen all day, cooking." He looked down at the counter. Usagi leaned over and put her hand on his shoulder in encouragement.

"Well, we could be your friends too, if you want!" She winked, and he looked up at her.

"Really?"

"Yeah! After all, you already seem to be great friends with Makoto-chan!" Ami noticed. Ayumi simply blushed and a small smile formed on his lips.

"Alright, let's give it a try!"

############

Meanwhile, Sagittarius was lounging around in a darkened game arcade, reading a book in her disguise. "I probably should be looking for new targets, but forget it! I just want to enjoy myself!" She announced to nobody in particular, then went back to reading. It was the best place for some quiet, after all, since it was closed, and even when it was open, hardly anybody stopped by anyway. They were all preoccupied with playing games on the very new Internet. As she was reading, two girls stood in front of her, evil grins on their faces.

"What do you two want?" She griped, not looking up. The two were mainly covered by shadows, so one couldn't tell what they looked like.

"Mistress wants to speak to you! Something about...finding a new target?" One of the girls said, her voice as smooth as a rolling river.

"I haven't found one yet." Sagittarius merely shrugged. "Now go away! I'm trying to read!"

The other girl grabbed her and threw her off the chair, then glared at her. "There will be no breaks! You must find a true Star Sign, or else!" She snapped.

"Yeah, otherwise, Mistress will replace you with us!" The first girl laughed.

"Fine!" Sagittarius pulled herself off the floor and threw her book back on the chair. "I have a pretty good idea of who has a real one. I say that tomorrow, I attack the same girl as today! The guardian of Jupiter..." She trailed off, and the girls' faces lit up.

"Ah, such a romantic-sounding name!" The watery girl cooed happily. The second just stared at the centaur.

"You actually think she has one? What makes you so certain? You've been wrong before." She smiled slyly.

"Shut up, Sakana! You just want to steal my position!"

"Why, whatever would we do that for?" The two girls grinned. "Go off and find your target, that's fine, but know that if you get defeated, we'll have to step in!"

"And there aren't very many of us left..." The watery girl said sadly. Sagittarius looked away from them.

"I know I'm right, I just have to be! It's so unusual for a Zodiaciania to be so wrong!" She complained, forming a fist with her hand.

"Anyway, Mistress still wants to see you." Both girls said at the same time, and Sagittarius looked over at them.

"Tell her I'm coming, and that I have a very good chance of pleasing her this time." All three girls grinned evilly, and the two girls quickly vanished, leaving the centaur all alone to finish up her reading.

############

"Wow, you were right, Mako-chan! This mochi ice cream _is _really good!" Ayumi gushed happily. Makoto smiled at him.

"Wait, did you just use my nickname?" She asked in curiosity. He quickly blushed a dark red.

"Was that wrong? I just assumed I could use it now, since I've heard your friends use it before, and I'm now considered your friend..." He looked at her with big eyes, but she simply nodded.

"No, that's perfectly alright! It just caught me off-guard for a second since you're usually so formal with me!" He smiled back at her.

"Hey, Mako-chan, do you think that maybe I could be your husband?" She dropped the spoon she was holding, and it loudly hit the floor. She bent down to pick it up. "I'm sorry to surprise you, but I was just thinking! If I wasn't so young, we could totally marry!"

"You're not very young, you're twelve! Lots of things can happen at twelve! But sadly, not marriage. Our gap isn't very big though, so come talk to me when you turn sixteen, alright?" She grinned, and he nodded. "Besides, Usagi-chan and her husband are seven years apart too, and nobody throws a fit over it."

"Because they're husband and wife now. I'm assuming they would have a child too, so you can't judge them for that."

"Well, nobody judged them, even when they were still dating! After all, they started dating when she was only a second-year in middle school and he was in college!"

"Wow! Such a gap!" Ayumi went back to eating his ice cream, and Makoto went back to cleaning the dirty dishes. "Do you think maybe you could come back tomorrow and help me again? That is, if your place isn't very busy..."

"I'd love to!" Makoto smiled widely at him. "You are very well on the path to becoming a successful bakery owner, I know it! Your desserts are good, and you cook very quickly! Both are very good skills to have in this industry!" Ami poked her head back into the kitchen.

"Hey, Makoto-chan? We're getting ready to leave, are you coming with us?" She asked.

"Yeah, just let me put these dishes up to dry." Makoto wiped her wet hands on the dry dish rag, then untied her apron and hung it back up. As she was grabbing her bag, however, she heard Ayumi clear his throat behind her. She turned around to face him. "What is it?"

"Do you think that maybe you could leave me that mochi ice cream recipe? I think it'll be a big hit in the summer." He grinned slightly, and Makoto grinned back. She quickly scribbled the recipe down on a paper he had on the fridge using a pen from Ami, then waved at him. "See you!" The two girls ran outside to drive home in Minako's car.

###########

"This tastes strange. What did you ask them to put on it?" Michiru asked, putting her burger back in its box.

"Just ketchup and lettuce." Haruka shrugged, leaning back in her seat. Michiru looked up at the balcony of Mamoru's apartment, amazed that all the lights were still on inside despite the late hour.

"Is there any reason why we're hanging out around here, especially so late? There's no reason why we should be spying on them, they're not in danger." Michiru sipped some of her tea.

"Sometimes it's just very calming to be around their glow. They have the warming sensation of a loving family, and in times like these, that sort of feeling is very easy to forget." Haruka answered.

"Did we _really_ have to go and buy some Mc'Donald's though? These condiments are going to stain your car." Michiru asked.

"You said you were hungry."

"Maybe it wasn't food I wanted."

Usagi had come out onto the balcony to gaze out at seemingly nothing, and the couple looked back up at her.

"You think she can see us? Maybe we should wave at her." Michiru raised her hand up briefly to do it, but Haruka lowered it for her.

"I can sense trouble on the wind. We'd better go." She revved the car up as Michiru popped some fries into her mouth. The car sped off, and Usagi looked over at the direction of the noise.

"Oh, wasn't that Haruka-san and Michiru-san? I wonder what they were doing here..." She looked back inside at the sound of Chibiusa crying, and she sighed and quickly ran back inside.

The couple quickly drove back to their own place, then they got out of the car with their food bags. "You have ketchup all over your mouth, Michiru." Haruka noticed. She simply smiled and wiped it off, then they went back inside. Setsuna looked up from where she was reading on the couch.

"Oh, you two are home!" She shut her book and stood up. "Where did you go, though?"

"Just out for a drive."

"Out to get food." They both answered at the same time, and Michiru tossed one of the bags at Setsuna. "We even got some for you and Hotaru!"

"Thank you. I'm not hungry though, and Hotaru's asleep. I'll just put our food in the fridge." Setsuna went into the kitchen with the bag to do just that.

"Let's finish ours!" Michiru suggested, throwing hers onto the table and pulling out her violin. "I can even provide the entertainment!" She smiled.

"Who am I to argue with that?" Haruka smiled back and sat down on the couch. Setsuna came back in to put her book up.

"Do whatever you want, but I'm going to bed. Don't wake anybody up." She directed, then went upstairs into her own room to sleep.


	6. Episode 6: A Snow Day for the Senshi!

The next morning, the Inner Senshi woke up and all looked out their windows at some point in the morning to find everything painted over in a bright shade of pure white. Their childish natures quickly overtook them and they put on the warmest clothes they could find and all ran over to Minako's to ride over in her car to the mansion. Once they got there, they all knocked on the door at the same time, making it get answered almost instantly.

"What do you girls want?" Michiru asked in confusion, her hair tied back with a lilac bow. Her nightgown was a soft lilac color and covered in lace, which would've been a tacky design on anyone but her. Even with bedhead she looked magnificent.

"There's snow everywhere!" Makoto said happily.

"We wanna play out in your giant backyard!" Minako explained, and without waiting for Michiru's answer, the five girls pushed themselves into the house, only to fall right on the living room floor. Hotaru nearly jumped at seeing them there, but she kept brushing her teeth anyway.

"Hotaru! Go brush your teeth in the bathroom! You'll drop suds everywhere!" Haruka's voice directed from the hallway. She was clearly getting ready for school, since she had her uniform blouse on with some tights, but no skirt. She ignored Haruka and kept brushing her teeth.

"Our backyard? Why though?" Michiru asked again, trying to make sense of the scene.

"Because it's huge! It'd be the best place to make the most of our snow fun!"  
Usagi winked. Michiru giggled. Hotaru's eyes lit up at this, and she ran into the kitchen to spit her residue into the kitchen sink. She ran back into the living room.

"I want to play in the snow too!" She tugged on Michiru's arm. "Please? School is most likely cancelled if cars can't get through the thick snow."

"You ride the train to school though." Michiru stated, but she sighed when she saw Hotaru's eager smile. "Alright, but change out of that into something a lot warmer. Your tights are fine, but you'll also need a sweater..." She looked over at the five girls, who all had skirts on without any tights, and only Usagi was wearing one that went to her ankles. "You guys are terrible fashion examples." She smiled. She followed Hotaru into their rooms upstairs to change.

"I thought I heard the meowing of little kittens in my house this morning!" Haruka teased, coming into the living room and winking. "How are you five today?"

"We're good, thank you!" Rei said.

"We're going to play in the snow! You want to come with us?" Usagi offered with a smile on her face.

"Aren't you girls too old for doing such a thing?" Haruka laughed.

"I don't see anything wrong with our ages. It's not like we have college to report to or anything." Makoto stated, a defensive tone rising in her voice.

"Yeah, but we _do _have jobs to do," Ami reminded them shyly.

"Not me!" Usagi and Minako happily chimed in at the same time.

"Oh, so now being a housewife isn't considered work now?" Rei asked bitterly.

"It's not very hard work! I just have to feed and put Usagi to bed, and Mamo-chan kisses me for all my hard work!" Usagi gushed.

"But you have housework to do..." Ami said.

"Oh yeah...well Mamo-chan usually just does that for me too!"

"You're very bad-natured!" Makoto said in surprise as the other girls just glared at Usagi. Michiru glided back into the living room, her hair down and finely brushed. She had put on a dark yellow turtleneck dress that tightly hugged her curves and went down to her ankles, revealing heeled brown boots underneath. A matching scarf that went down to her waist was loosely tied around her neck.

"I think I'm ready for the winter, what do you guys think?" She asked teasingly. "Hotaru's still upstairs. Knowing her, she's probably trying to get Setsuna to wake up and come play with us as well."

"Wow, Setsuna is a late sleeper?" Minako asked in awe.

"She's more of a night person." Haruka shrugged. "I think it has something to do with her planet's properties. Anyway, how about you girls go on ahead and go outside? The snow might be gone tomorrow!" She opened the door leading to their background, and the five girls happily ran outside, eager to play in the fresh, soft, untouched powder.

For a while, the only thing the girls did was scoop up big piles of the snow and fling them into the air, then do it again when the pile finally came back down. It was a messy thing, and soon the girls were doused with snowflakes that clung to their hair tightly. As they were playing, the four older girls joined them outside, laughing at the mess they were making.

"We should build a snowman!" Hotaru instantly suggested, running over to a big pile of snow that had already formed. "See? We already have the lower half!" She had changed into a heavy black skirt that went to her knees, black snow boots, and a long black sweater that resembled the top half of a sailor dress with buttons going down the front.

"Alright, that sounds like fun! I'll help you." Ami said, going over to the pile. "It's a good size, but it's not quite round enough yet. Want to help me round it off?" Hotaru nodded in excitement, and the two quickly got to work. The other four quickly looked to the remaining three to see if they would join in too, but they simply sat down on a snow-covered bench and watched the girls play.

"That's pretty lame! Why just watch when you can join in the fun yourself?" Minako wondered out lout. She stood there for a second, thinking about it, when something cold and wet suddenly slammed itself into the back of her head. She screamed and looked behind her to find a laughing Makoto.

"I just threw a snowball at you, and you totally didn't even notice!" She laughed. Minako scoffed and formed an even bigger one. She threw it at Makoto and hit the side of her face, quickly putting a stop to her laughter. "Oh, so that's how it's going to be, huh? Well, fine then! It's war!" She formed another snowball and chucked it at Minako, who ran away this time.

"You guys can't have a snowball fight without me!" Rei announced, popping out of nowhere.

"Wouldn't you just melt all of the snowballs?" Usagi wondered, only to receive a dirty look from Rei.

"Hey! Somebody needs to be on my side!" Minako protested.

"We'll be on your team! We just won't fight with you." Ami smiled slightly, waving from her spot in the yard.

"You guys are awful!" Minako pouted jokingly. Rei launched a snowball at her, but she ducked too slowly and ended up getting hit in the stomach. "Fine! Let's see how you like this!" She created a giant ball and hurled it at Makoto, hitting her right in the chest.

"Hey, you can't fight dirty!" Makoto cried, holding her chest in pain.

"Yeah! I think that should count as one point for the Goddess of Love! What do you guys think?" She eagerly looked back at the Outer Senshi, but her face fell when she realized they weren't even paying attention to the fight anymore. Setsuna was reading a book, and Haruka and Michiru were totally engrossed in something on Haruka's phone. Haruka quickly blew a bubble with the gum in her mouth nobody even saw her put in.

"Hey, they're not even paying attention to us anymore!" Rei noticed.

"I have an idea." Makoto grinned evilly. "Let's throw a snowball at one of them! That'll provoke the other two to join our fight!" She quickly created a large ball.

"Makoto-chan, that doesn't sound like a very good idea! Those three don't like to be provoked!" Usagi said with a warning edged in her voice.

"Oh, calm down! Chances are, they won't even care!" Makoto hurled her snowball as hard as she possibly could, her target being Setsuna. Somehow, though, the snowball got steered off course slightly and ended up hitting Michiru right in the middle of her face.

"Oh no, I didn't mean to hit her!" Makoto cried. Michiru was so surprised by the impact that she fell off the bench, and the other two yelled her name.

"Who threw that?" Setsuna looked over at the girls, who all pointed to somebody different.

"To be honest, it was Makoto-chan's idea!" Minako called, selling her out.

"No, it was Rei-chan's idea!" Makoto shot back.

"It was my idea!" Usagi offered.

Michiru had gotten back up and started giggling really hard. "You girls are adorable! I'm not mad at anybody!"

"You're not?" Rei asked in disbelief.

"No. Why would I be? You guys just want to have some fun with me. I hope you're prepared to take my wraith!" She smiled.

"You're a water element, not ice! You can't possibly beat us!" Makoto challenged with a grin on her face.

"I bet all three of us could beat you four." Haruka added in.

"I sense an even bigger challenge! You guys are on!" Minako said. The girls quickly took their positions, making as many snowballs as they could. The Inners started launching theirs first, but the three Outers just ducked behind their bench to evade the attack.

"Damn! They're good!" Makoto said. "We don't have any defenses like that!"

"They just have more experience with this sort of thing." Rei added.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," Usagi started to say before a big snowball hit the left side of her face. She wiped it off and started looking around for the thrower. "I know that was you, Haruka-san! You'll pay for it!" She promised, pulling in as much snow as she possibly could to make a giant snowball.

As she was doing that, Setsuna had come out of her hiding spot with her hands in front of her, clasped tightly around something.

"I got you now!" Minako cheered, throwing a large snowball at her and making her stumble a bit. The snowball in her own hands was quickly dropped and fell back to the ground. "Alright, I got one of the Outers! We get a point!" She started doing a victory dance.

"You took out Setsuna-san, but what about the other two? They seem like they know what they're doing," Ami pointed out from the sidelines.

"They can't be this invested in it!" Makoto grinned, throwing another snowball at the bench. Usagi had finally finished her giant snowball and trying to gather it all up in her arms. She ended up tripping and the whole ball burst open, covering her in water.

"Oh no! My snowball!" She cried. Michiru and Haruka jumped up from their spot briefly to smile at her.

"How cute! Even at nineteen, you're still the embodiment of a grade-schooler!" Michiru gushed.

"I can't tell if that's an insult or not..." Usagi responded, sitting up. Makoto and Rei took advantage of the exposed girls and started launching snowballs at them left and right, although most of them were kicked away by them. Eventually, however, Makoto delivered her final blow onto Michiru, and Minako delivered hers onto Haruka, and both girls jokingly fell to the ground and pretended to die over-dramatically.

"Oh no, you got me right in my heart! I'll never live to see another day again! Wait for me, my darling!" Michiru cried while laughing, reaching her hand out for Haruka's.

"Who would've thought we'd be done in like this? Where-ever we go, I shall always remember you, my love!" Haruka reached her hand out for Michiru's, and the two closed their eyes and tried their hardest to keep a straight face.

"You two are great at this. You should be actors or something!" Minako praised.

"You are so funny, Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama!" Hotaru cheered from her side of the yard. The two quickly got back up and jokingly bowed.

"I'm so glad you liked our little performance!" Michiru smiled. "Really, though, I didn't think you girls were so good at this!"

"It just takes some practice!" Makoto grinned.

"Come on, I'm really tired from all of that. Why don't we go help Ami-chan and Hotaru-chan with their snowman?" Rei offered, and the other girls agreed that it was a good idea.

"Oh, we don't need that much help right now, but thanks for the offer! We've already made the body and the head..." Ami said.

"No, I think they could still help. Our snowman should look special! Let's give him a piece of all of us!" Hotaru suggested, and all the girls ran off to find something special to them. As they did that, her and Ami continued work on the body and head, making sure they were sturdy enough that they wouldn't fall over very easily.

After a while, each of the girls came back with something they found special to them. "Great! Let me see what you have, and we'll put it on the snowman!" Hotaru smiled.

"How do we even know it's a man? We're giving it a lot of girly things, so maybe it's a snowwoman!" Rei piped up from somewhere in the middle of the group.

"I sorta like that idea!" Hotaru praised. "What did you bring for our snowwoman, Michiru-mama?" She asked, addressing the first person she found in the group. Michiru opened her hand and revealed two emerald-colored stud earrings.

"They're my earrings! Or one pair, at least. You could give them to her for eyes, or make them her own earrings!" She smiled, and Hotaru took the earrings from her.

"They are a really pretty shade for eyes!" She carefully pierced the snow where eyes normally would be on a person, and Ami helped her make them an equal distance from each other.

"I brought this, an old hat I used to be quite fond of back when I was younger and a huge tomboy. I don't wear it anymore, but I thought maybe it'd look good on her?" Makoto offered, and Hotaru nodded, taking the hat from her. She carefully placed the dark green cap on top of the snowman.

"She needs some warm winter clothes, so here's an old coat and some mittens I outgrew back in junior high!" Minako grinned, showing off a bright pink coat with matching mittens. The mittens had bright red hearts stitched onto them.

"I'm sure she'll love them!" Hotaru said, buttoning the coat up and slipping the mittens onto the snowman's stick hands.

"Oh no, those colors are starting to clash very badly," Ami noticed.

"Are you saying my team clash badly together?" Usagi demanded, but Ami shook her head.

Soon the snowman was done, having a piece of all the girls on it. Hotaru seemed quite impressed with the results, but Ami was quite disturbed.

"I really like it! She's so pretty!" Hotaru gushed.

"It represents how different we all are..." Ami sighed. The snowman's mouth had been carefully painted on using one of Setsuna's lipsticks, and the nose was a small carrot Ami provided. It not only had on a coat, but also several layers of skirts and necklaces, and tons of bracelets lined its arms along with the mittens. It also had a pair of Rei's earrings hanging from where ears usually were.

"It's a very creative idea," Makoto offered. The girls suddenly became aware of fast footsteps approaching them, and they all turned serious and quickly looked over in the noise's direction. Usagi's expression changed very quickly when she realized it was just her husband.

"Mamo-chan!" She exclaimed happily, throwing herself into his arms. He hugged her back. "What brings you here?"

"Usagi's not drinking her formula, so I was going to go to the store to buy her some baby food, and I need you to come with me to help me pick something out." He explained.

"She's eating baby food already? How adorable!" Usagi gushed.

"I remember when Hotaru started eating baby food," Michiru said.

"If you're not there, I might pick something she might not like, and I don't want to deal with two fussy girls!" He laughed.

"But I'm playing!" Usagi whined.

"Usako..."

"Alright..."

"I would suggest getting several different types of food. Babies at this age are very picky and messy eaters, so add lots of variety. What she likes today might end up being hated tomorrow!" Setsuna suggested, and the couple nodded. They disappeared from the side of the house to get into his car, and only when they could no longer hear it did somebody finally speak.

"I'm really cold..." Hotaru shivered, and the other girls nodded.

"Yeah, that snowball fight took out basically all of my energy!" Minako laughed.

"What about some hot chocolate? It'd be really rich, since the chocolate is Belgian!" Setsuna offered, and the girls quickly darted inside. "Don't track any snow inside!" She followed them, nearly tripping over the huge pile of coats and shoes the girls left in front of the door. Some were lined up neatly, but some had just been thrown there carelessly. "I'm also not picking this up!" Setsuna called into the living room, then she went into the kitchen to make the chocolate. It took a while to make due to her having to make eight drinks, but she eventually got it done. She placed them all onto a tray and slowly walked into the living room.

Minako was currently dancing in front of the TV, singing one of her songs for the other girls' amusement. Setsuna held out the tray, and all the girls smiled and grabbed the mug of their favorite color.

Ami quickly sipped a bit of hers so her mouth wouldn't get burned, and her eyes lit up. "Wow, this tastes really good!"

"It has Belgian chocolate in it, what did you expect?" Makoto grinned, taking her seat next to Ami.

"Setsuna's really good with desserts, which is great for someone with a sweet tooth! Like me!" Haruka winked.

"You would eat nothing _but _desserts if we let you." Michiru giggled.

"Then you wouldn't be a very good Senshi! Sailor Senshi have great figures!" Hotaru piped up.

"Then explain Usagi!" Rei laughed, and the other girls giggled. After that, they all sat around and sipped at their drinks without talking. Makoto was the first to finish hers and quickly jumped over the table.

"What's wrong?" Hotaru asked her.

"I think I left my phone outside. Don't worry, I'll just go out and check. It probably just fell out during our snowball fight." She went over to the door and threw on her shoes and coat, not bothering to zip it back up. She went back outside and started scouring the ground for her phone, practically crawling on the ground. Her eyes eventually caught sight of a lime green phone, and she quickly picked it up. "Hopefully, it's not too wet or broken, because I don't think my plan covers that!" She slid it back into her pocket and put her right hand in there to keep it from falling out again. She started to go back into the house when she was stopped by a tan girl.

"I know you! You were the same girl who came to help my brother the other day, aren't you?" The girl asked cheerfully, taking off her sunglasses. Her eyes were a dark brown.

"Yes, what about it?" Makoto asked wearily, taking a few steps back.

"I just wanted to thank you personally for it. He's going through a rough time and everything, since our parents are divorced..."

"I get the feeling you're not his sister...I mean, you two look nothing alike!"

"Awww, you figured out my secret." The girl tore her clothes off, revealing her lower horse-half. "I couldn't get your Star Sign the other day, but I'm going to get it now! Just don't scream and it'll be over faster!" She flicked her wrist at Makoto, who instantly screamed. A green arrow came out of her chest, quieting her. Sagittarius grinned.

"It's a pure Star Sign! Perfect! Now I won't lose my job to those two bimbos!" She clasped her hands together happily and grabbed the arrow, making Makoto fall to the ground. Her eyes glassed over. "I wish you would turn into a monster, but since your Star Sign is pure, you'll just die. It's a burden, but that's what you get for being on the losing side!" She suddenly stopped laughing when another arrow shot the Star Sign right out of her hands. "Who dares to ruin my fun!" She demanded, looking up at the roof.

"How could you destroy a poor girl who's only trying to do good for other people?" Mars demanded, still holding her bow.

"All for something so simple! Is this worth the fight?" Mercury asked.

"A Star Sign? That sounds really small to me!" Venus taunted.

"And all eight of us are here, so you know we mean business!" Saturn stated.

"It'll hurt even more when we beat you!" Neptune giggled.

"We don't know who or what you're gathering those things for, and what your true purpose is, but we do know that you're going to get beat by us!" Uranus promised.

"It's just you bothersome Sailors again. Normally, I'd leave you alone with a monster, but she'll just die because her Star Sign is pure! Now just let me have it and nobody will have to join her!" She quickly dove for the green arrow and clutched it tightly in her hands.

"Give us that back!" Venus yelled. "Venus Love-Me Chain!" She threw her chain at Sagittarius and made her surprised enough that she dropped the Star Sign, leaving Venus to grab it and pull it up. "Alright, I got it!" She cheered.

"Great, now we gotta give it to Makoto-chan before she dies!" Mars said, taking it from Venus and leaping off the roof. She started running towards Makoto, and Sagittarius glared at her.

"Not today, when I was so close to victory!" She flicked her wrist at Mars and a huge stream of water blast out at her, causing her to lose her balance and drop the Star Sign. "Now, I shall take what is rightfully mine!" She scooped up the Star Sign with a grin, only for it to get knocked out of her hands by Mercury's attack. "Why don't you guys just give up?" She griped. Mars quickly grabbed the Star Sign again and rolled Makoto back onto her back and placed the arrow on her chest, hoping it would fuse back in. It did, and Makoto stirred slightly. Some of the color returned to her face.

"No, you're ruining everything! I could lose my job for this!" Sagittarius formed her own golden bow and arrow and aimed it at Makoto again. Before she could fire it, though, Saturn jumped in front of her and put her weapon in front of her like a shield.

"What happened to me?" Makoto asked, sitting up. Her eyes were back to normal.

"You were attacked, and you have a pure Star Sign! That's good to remember for future reference. Only you can defeat her, so you better hurry and transform! We need some help here!" Mars explained at a whisper, and Makoto nodded.

"I'm sick of your little games! If I can't hit your friend, then I'll just hit you!" Sagittarius fired her arrow lower down on Saturn, and it cut into her leg. She cried out in pain, dropping her glaive and letting Sagittarius run off to another part of the yard.

"SATURN!" The three Outers cried in distress, running over to her.

"Are you okay? Where'd you get hit at?" Neptune asked in worry, her eyes finally focusing on the cut. It was deep, but it hadn't started bleeding.

"I'll be fine. I'm a good healer, remember?" Saturn smiled.

Meanwhile, Makoto had transformed herself into Super Sailor Jupiter and had started showering Sagittarius with her attacks one-by-one, and her villain was clearly losing the battle.

"This is what you get for attacking mmy friend! Supreme Thunder!" Jupiter taunted, firing another attack at her.

"Stop it, stop! I can't even hit you properly, you're too fast!" Sagittarius cried.

"I consider that more of a benefit than a problem." Jupiter smiled teasingly. Sagittarius finally managed to hide behind a tree and fired another arrow at Jupiter's chest.

"Jupiter, watch out!" Venus cried out in warning. Jupiter looked over at the arrow, but before she could dodge it herself, a cape was suddenly thrown out in front of her, knocking the arrow to the ground.

"Who ruins my plans this time?" Sagittarius demanded angrily. Tuxedo Mask looked over at her, dropping his cape down by his side.

"Tuxedo Mask!" Mercury said in surprise.

"But that means that..." Venus trailed off when Tuxedo Mask opened up his cape, revealing Eternal Sailor Moon with a sleeping Chibiusa in her arms. She came out from under his cape and posed.

"Sorry we're late, but there was a line at the check-out counter!"Eternal Sailor Moon apologized.

"Did you guys need anything from us?" Tuxedo Mask asked.

"I don't think so." Jupiter answered.

"How did she fit her wings in there?" Saturn asked.

"Now that that's over with, prepare to pay!" Jupiter said, focusing her attention back to Sagittarius. "One more attack is all I need to defeat you! So, here we go! Jupiter! Oak Evolution!" She slammed her attack into Sagittarius, who was already weakened, and eventually finished her off.

"That's not possible! You're too weak..." She vanished, leaving no trace of her behind. Jupiter suddenly became bathed in a dark green glow, and when it left, her outfit looked like Sailor Moon's, minus the wings. She ran her fingers along her lips and found a bit of green lipstick on them.

"I'm Eternal Sailor Jupiter now!" She cheered.

"That's great! Now all of us Inners are Eternal!" The Eternal Inner Senshi started spinning around in a circle happily together. Saturn slowly got up and danced around with them as well, and they only stopped when they heard Eternal Sailor Moon clear her throat at them.

"I suppose that means we're next to transform," Saturn suggested.

"It would make the most sense, since that's how it's usually done." Pluto said, and the other two girls nodded.

"We can focus on that another day. By now, our hot chocolate would be more like cold chocolate!" Venus laughed.

"Oh, Venus..." The girls sighed. Everyone detransformed and went back into the house except for Usagi and Mamoru.

"Why am I one of the last ones to get stronger? It's never been like this before!" Usagi said in a worried tone.

"Maybe you're really the next one! There's no way to tell." Mamoru said, wrapping his arms around her.

"And the fact Makoto-chan ended up having a pure Star Sign...does that mean all the guardians of a planet have one? Are they similar to Star Seeds?"

"I think you're asking questions that have no current answer." He kissed her. "Let's go inside and see if Setsuna-san can make us some hot chocolate too."

"Alright!" She smiled at him.

###########

Meanwhile, the two girls leaned up against a blue throne.

"How sad, another one of my helpers was defeated by the bothersome guardians of this world. If this keeps up, then I would have no hopes of conquering this solar system!" The throne's owner sighed. The shadows hid her features very well.

"Oh, do not fret, Mistress! We're so much better than your other helpers!" The watery girl reassured.

"Yeah, we're older, wiser, and the last signs in the sequence! We have our ways." The fish-girl grinned.

"You girls might be correct. If you two travel together, then I see no reason why you won't be successful." The throne's owner looked up at the solar system diagram on the ceiling. "The guardians of all those gorgeous planets...what do you think they are like?"

"Probably very terrible people. They couldn't keep you out!" The fish-girl laughed.

"But then again, nobody could keep you out, Mistress." The watery girl cooed, leaning up against her mistress.

"And I bet they're really annoying!" The fish-girl continued to mock.

"And ugly!" The watery girl added.

"And weak, defenseless little girls! They'll be foolish to defeat the best of us!" The two girls posed with grins on their faces.

"I love your spirits! So, will you go find people born under your signs and make them pay?" Mistress asked. The two girls bowed.

"We sure will, Mistress." The watery girl said.

"And we'll do it quickly." The fish-girl added in.

"For we aren't-"

"Aquarius!" The watery girl stepped out of the shadows with a grin.

"And Pisces!" The fish-girl stepped out as well.

"And all those born under us shall pay!" They both laughed.


	7. Episode 7: Aquarius Finds Her Target!

The next morning, Usagi and Mamoru took it upon themselves to serve Chibiusa her first breakfast of solid food. After setting up the high-chair, which wasn't an easy task, they set a very confused baby in it and started sorting through all the baby food they bought.

"I never realized what a terrible design that high-chair is," Usagi suddenly noticed, looking over at it. It was a bright pink, with the chair patterned with white bunnies. "Almost everything we've bought for her is pink with a bunny-pattern."

"You liked them when we bought them for her. You kept gushing over how it was so suiting for her since she loved rabbits." Mamoru smiled.

"Maybe that's why she does..." Usagi said. Chibiusa gave them an impatient look from her seat, so the two quickly picked out several cans of mashed peaches and poured them into a small bowl. Usagi kneeled in front of the high-chair and offered the small spoonful to her daughter.

"Usagi, open up! Here's your breakfast!" She smiled. Chibiusa looked even more confused about what she was supposed to do, and eventually looked away from her food.

"Maybe she's just not hungry." Mamoru suggested.

"No, it's because she doesn't want to eat solid food. Well, I'll make her!" Usagi stood up and leaned over the high-chair, trying her best to intimidate Chibiusa. "Won't you eat your peaches for mommy? Don't you want to make mommy happy?" Chibiusa finally looked over at this and opened her mouth slightly, and Usagi quickly stuffed the spoon inside.

"Hopefully she won't spit it back out." Mamoru said. Luckily, Chibiusa seemed quite happy with the taste and quickly swallowed it, then opened her mouth for more.

"Yes! We had a success!" Usagi started feeding her daughter more, taking her original kneeled position. While she was feeding her, Mamoru turned the TV on out of boredom, just to see if anything interesting related to their friends was happening. The news was talking about a big racing event that would be happening that afternoon, and Usagi quickly brightened at it. "Haruka-san will be there! Can we go?" She asked sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes at her husband.

"Is that the only reason why you want to go?" He teased.

"I'm not allowed to support my friends now?" Usagi pretended to pout, and the couple laughed.

"Of course you can go support them. I have work today though, so you're going to have to find someone to babysit Usagi."

"I think she would just fall asleep from the soothing sounds of the racetrack!" She giggled. Chibiusa bounced up and down in her chair, so Usagi carefully took her out. "You're going to the racetrack today, aren't you excited?" She teased, and Chibiusa simply looked at her. "You should probably have a bath first..." She quickly took Chibiusa into the bathroom to give her a bath.

##############

"Tenoh-san, you have a visitor." One of the other racers announced, standing in the doorway of the garage. Haruka simply looked up from the hood of her car, then smiled slightly when she saw it was Michiru.

"Are you nervous about later?" She asked with a teasing edge in her tone.

"Why would I be? Racing is my life now, just like violin-playing is yours." She shut the hood of her car loudly.

"We have a word for ourselves, you know. We're called violinists." Michiru giggled.

"And we're called racers." She sat on the hood of her car, and Michiru joined her.

"Do you think any of the girls will come cheer you on?"

"I sure hope so."

As if on some sort of cue, Usagi walked up to them with a small smile on her face. "I was amazed they let me in here! I don't look like the racing type!" She laughed. She was wearing the blue jumper, white blouse, and khaki shorts she usually wore on these types of outings, but instead of her usual purse she wore with it, she now had slung a teal diaper bag on her arm. In her arms was a very curious Chibiusa, who wasn't wrapped up in her usual blanket and was trying her hardest to grab everything she saw.

"Oh? I think you fit. A lot of these racers have girlfriends who have babies." Michiru said.

"Are you suggesting something about yourself?" Haruka teased. "Anyway, why'd you bring your daughter here? She could get hurt here."

"I'm not actually taking her out on the track! Besides, she seems very interested in everything, so please just let her stay?" Usagi fluttered her eyelashes at Haruka, who sighed.

"Fine. Just don't let her actually touch anything. A lot of this stuff can be very toxic to her." She jumped off her hood and started working on her tires.

"You're still racing that old car? Didn't you think of replacing it after all these years?" Usagi asked. "After all, it's not only a new year, it's a new century! A new millennium! And that calls for new cars!"

"Haruka is very resistant towards change. It won't matter to her if it's 2000 or 3000, she will never change her cars." Michiru teased.

"I only keep this one because it's reliable! Also, I will not wait that long to get a new car." Haruka shot back.

"When I become queen, I will ban all old-fashioned cars from the twentieth century and only allow cars from the twenty-first!" Usagi continued to tease.

"What about cars from the thirtieth century?" Michiru asked.

"Maybe, if they're really modern-looking!" She grinned.

"Oh, I have to use the bathroom. Don't miss me, alright?" Michiru smiled and left the room. Usagi quickly focused her attention on Haruka, who was still on her knees working on her tires. Usagi slowly laid herself down on the hood of the car and made sure her heels were close to Haruka.

"So, we're all alone now. What do you think we should do?" She teased. Haruka looked up at her.

"What are you doing?" She asked in confusion, only for Usagi to gracefully jump off the hood.

"Well, Michiru-san won't be back from the bathroom for a while...so why don't we have some fun?" She smiled. Haruka stood up.

"I have no idea what you're doing, but it needs to stop." She demanded sternly.

"Why? After all, you've said several times that you're fond of me!" Usagi managed to somehow back Haruka into a wall.

"I was teasing you, mainly because that's what teenagers do with each other. But we're adults now, and have our own spouses now. See?" She showed off her wedding ring on her finger, then lifted up Usagi's hand and showed her hers. "Do you really think it's a good idea now?"

"Just a quick kiss!" Usagi insisted, moving closer to Haruka.

"No way!" Haruka shot back, leaning closer against the wall.

Chibiusa suddenly caught onto what was going on between her mother and her friend, and decided she didn't like it very much at all. She was cheating on her father, and that wasn't good! Some part of her told her that her mother did this stuff all of the time, but she ignored that part and decided to take matters into her own hands.

Right as Usagi's lips touched Haruka's, Chibiusa spit up a giant mess of half-digested peaches all over Haruka's front. Both of the women gasped in surprise and disgust, but Chibiusa looked quite pleased with herself for handling the situation.

"Usagi!" Usagi cried in surprise, backing away from Haruka. "I'm so sorry, she normally never does things like that!"

Michiru came back into the garage at this point and burst into giggles after seeing Haruka's ruined racing uniform. Usagi took her finger and gently swiped away the spit-up from Chibiusa's mouth.

"I take it Chibiusa-chan doesn't like your racing suit?" Michiru giggled.

"This isn't funny, my clothes are ruined! My race starts in ten minutes, I don't have enough time to change into something else!" Haruka complained. She gave Usagi a sour look.

"It's alright! After all, those uniforms are just for show, right?" Usagi asked in genuine innocence.

"They keep us from getting severely hurt or burned. Basically, if my car catches on fire while I'm not wearing this, chances are very high I'll get burned too." Haruka explained.

"Oh..." Usagi's face fell.

"They might not even let me race if I don't have a suit!"

"I'm sure we can figure something out." Michiru said. "Maybe you can tie my shawl around you like a belt?"

"Tenoh-san! You have to go now!" Someone yelled into the garage.

"Alright, I'm coming!" Haruka quickly shut any part of her car that was still open and got in. "Hopefully nobody notices this mess on my suit!" She sped out of the garage, leaving Michiru and Usagi there alone.

"Well, there's no point in standing around here, let's go cheer her on in the stands!" Michiru said happily, tugging on Usagi's arm.

"You like racing this much? You don't strike me as that type very much." Usagi said in shock.

"No, I find racing very boring to be honest. But if it's her races, then I'm willing to stay and watch." She let her out of the garage.

"Wait, don't I need to buy a ticket?"

"I figured you'd probably show up, so here's one ticket for you!" Michiru grinned slyly and pulled a ticket out of her purse. Usagi took it from her.

"Hopefully Usagi won't be as much of an annoyance as she was earlier!"

"I'm sure she'll be fine. Racetracks always seem to have a soothing effect on babies. At least, they always did for Hotaru. Haruka used to take her down here, just the two of them, and spend hours watching races. Haruka liked it because she was around two things she loved the most; racing, and our little princess." Michiru smiled a bit. "Needless to say Hotaru didn't latch on very easily to mine or Setsuna's hobbies. She couldn't play violin very well, was often too distressed to swim, so we tried Setsuna. She was really smart with college-level stuff, as always, but hopeless as designing clothes!"

"It's a good thing I already know what Usagi wants to be then!" Usagi giggled.

"You're going to become a very important person for her someday, aren't you?" Michiru's eyes turned serious. "You have a lot to live up to in just a few years. Enjoy being nineteen while it lasts!" They finally found themselves at the ticket gate, and while Usagi gave her ticket to them, Michiru simply showed off this special pass.

"What was with that pass?" Usagi asked as they were being led to their seats.

"Oh, it's nothing. If one of the racers is dating somebody, they can get their girlfriends a special pass to see their races for free. Obviously, Haruka just had to buy me one! We're always laughing at how clueless some of these people are sometimes." She finally found their seats and sat down in hers first, then motioned over to Usagi's. She quickly sat down as well.

############

After the race was over, Michiru and Usagi made an instant beeline for Haruka's garage to see how she did, but when they got there, they found Haruka to be in her regular clothes, talking with another girl.

"Who's that? Do you guys know her?" Usagi asked.

"No, but I'm about to." Michiru said, marching up to Haruka. "Haruka, there you are! I couldn't find you after your race, but now I've bumped into you!" She announced sweetly. "Who is this you're talking to?"

"I don't mean to bother you, but I was telling Tenoh-san how much I admire her as a racer! It's been a dream of mine to become a racer too, but I never actually pursued it because I'm a girl...but to see another girl like you racing, and making a name for yourself, and becoming a world-wide sensation, well, that just inspires me!" The girl rambled on. She was wearing a light green dress and a matching sunhat, and the dress was low-cut and looked too cold for the weather. The three women hoped she had a coat somewhere. She also had dark blonde hair to her waist. "Oh, I suppose I should introduce myself...I'm Risa Wakatuchi. Pleasure to meet you." She bowed formally, her cheeks blushed pink.

"So, what exactly did you want me to do with you? Did you want me to show you how to drive or something?" Haruka asked.

"Oh no, trust me, I already know how to do that!" Risa laughed nervously. "But I still need some help with my drift and my acceleration..." She trailed off, daring someone to find a suggestive wording in her phrase.

"Drift is easy, I could show you that easily!" Haruka said, and Risa clasped her hands together in happiness.

"Yes! Perfect! Let's start right now!" She ran off to another garage, probably to get changed and drive her own car. Michiru looked over at Usagi, who was bouncing Chibiusa in her arms.

"She seems like a nice girl." Michiru said simply. There wasn't any jealousy in her tone, she meant what she said genuinely.

"Yeah, but I don't know that much about her. I always seem to pick up fans like that." Haruka laughed.

"Minako-chan has that happen to her all of the time! It's no wonder she's always touring!" Usagi said with a big smile on her face.

"We're all famous now." Michiru said.

As the three were talking, another girl came up to them, her fashion being both fashionable and outrageous at the same time. She had on a dark blue chunky sweater that was encrusted with silver sequins, boot-cut jeans, violet-colored heeled boots, and golden hoop earrings that were so big they looked ready to swallow her up. On top of her straight blueish hair was a simple bow. She pulled down her giant sunglasses a bit and her eyes lit up when she saw Haruka.

"Tenoh-san! Just the person I've been waiting for!" She gushed, running over to her. Michiru noticed how she moved very much like one would while walking in water-very limited. "I'm a reporter for a sports magazine, and I was asked to do a feature on you! How about we get started, then?" Her voice flowed very smoothly, like water crashing over rocks.

"Where are all your interview equipment?" Usagi asked. The girl gave her a nasty look through her sunglasses, and Usagi tensed up when she thought she saw the girl's eyes change color.

"I left it back at the studio. Shouldn't you be feeding your baby? A racetrack is no place for a working mother!" She scoffed with a haughty tone in her voice.

Risa came back after this, dressed in a neon green racing suit. "Alright, I'm ready for my drifting lesson!" She grinned and formed a fist.

"Great! Let's hurry with it. As I said before, drifting is a super easy thing to do once you get the hang of it, and it's pretty easy to learn too!" Haruka quickly got back into her car, but Risa stopped her.

"Don't you need a suit on too?" She asked worriedly. Haruka shook her head.

"I'm not actually racing, so we should be fine. I know what I'm doing, I've been doing this since I was in middle school!" Risa looked to be in total awe at this, and quickly ran out of the garage again.

"Hold on, I gotta get my own car!" She called out. Haruka nodded and drove her car out of the garage, nearly running over the rude girl.

"The nerve of some people! She clearly does not want me to interview her!" She growled. "Oh well, I was asked to report on a sports star, so I'll just go after that Risa-san girl. I heard she's an Aquarius. A quiet sort, they are." The girl ran out of the garage as well, and Michiru and Usagi looked at each other in alarm.

"You don't think she's another one of the villains, do you?" Usagi asked.

"We'd better follow them, just to be sure. Risa-san and Haruka might be in danger!" The two girls darted after the others at a fast speed.

##########

Haruka and Risa were taking a quick break after their drifting session. "Do you think you're getting the hang of it?" Haruka asked nicely.

"I feel so carsick, I don't know!" Risa laughed weakly, her hand on her head. "I get carsick really easily...I don't know why I really wanted to become a racer."

"A friend of mine is terrified of sea cucumbers, but she still loves the sea." Haruka said. Risa looked over at her.

"Seriously? Well, that makes more sense. Those things are rare in the ocean. I can never escape my car sickness if I drive too fast!" Risa laughed again. The chunky girl managed to catch up to them, and she glared at them angrily.

"I just wanted to interview you, is that so wrong?" She glared, throwing off her sunglasses. "But now, I see I must rush ahead in my plan and take my real prize!" She grinned and crossed her two index fingers in front of Risa's chest. "You are an Aquarius, now give me your true Star Sign!" She announced, making Risa cry out as a dull-colored water jug came out of her chest. "Oh no, not a real one again! I was so sure!"

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Haruka demanded, holding a screwdriver at the girl. She had just grabbed whatever she found in the trunk of the race car.

"I don't need any pesky meddlers!" The girl said, throwing off her disguise. She revealed a girl with light blue skin, eyes so blue and clear they resembled crystals, and dark blue hair that flowed to the ground and never stopped moving. Her dress was a simple blue robe made out of water that dripped faster and faster as the dress went on. She wore no shoes, and carried a dark blue jug of water. "I am Aquarius, the second-to-last Zodiac sign! All those born under my sign will face my wraith, and all those with pure Star Signs will hand them over so we can conquer this solar system!" She laughed.

"What are you talking about? Who's 'we'?" Haruka demanded again, but Aquarius looked over at Risa.

"Oh no, I'm late, and so's my monster. Have fun with her!" She laughed and vanished, leaving Risa alone to transform into a monster. She transformed into a sexy racer, with wheels on her head and a motor on her chest. She was carrying a canister of oil.

"Haha, Filler-Upper!" She laughed in a high-pitched voice. "I cannot pour water like she can, but I can pour oil! Oil everywhere, for everyone!" She laughed and hurled the canister at Haruka, who kicked it away. "That's no fun! Have another one!" She threw another, which was leaking. Despite Harula kicking it away, the oil had wrapped itself around her foot and slowly worked its way up her body, rendering her unable to move. "You love my oil now, don't ya?" The monster laughed.

"Stop right there!" A voice yelled, and the monster looked over at its direction in confusion. Eternal Sailor Moon and Super Sailor Neptune stepped out of the shadows. "Making a mess of a young girl's lesson, and trapping a friend of ours? We won't forgive you! I'm a pretty Sailor Soldier fighting for love and justice, Sailor Moon!" She did her pose.

"And I am the Senshi of the oceans, the graceful Sailor Neptune, here to charm you!" Neptune did her pose as well.

"More people to give my oil to!" The monster gushed, throwing another leaking oil canister at them. "Oil is water for cars!"

"Submarine Reflection!" Neptune called, knocking the can away from them. The monster glared at her, then threw another one. This time, Neptune simply jumped away from it and ran over to Haruka. "I'm assuming this is oil you're stuck in, right?" She asked, and Haruka nodded. "I don't know how to get you out,"

"Let me try!" Eternal Sailor Moon piped up, running over to the girls. She took one of her fingers and scraped at the oil really hard, then marveled at that sliver coming off. "Hey, all you have to do is scratch at it, like paint!"

"Great, can you do that for me while I defend us?" Neptune commanded, and Sailor Moon nodded. She continued to slowly scratch the oil off, much to the couples' annoyance.

"I should cover you all up in oil too!" The monster hurled another can at Neptune, only to have her punch it away from her.

"Sailor Moon, hurry and refresh her!" Neptune directed.

"But what about trying to free Haruka-san?" Sailor Moon asked innocently.

"You can do that after the monster's gone! Now hurry!"

"Fine!" She pulled her wand out again. "Silver Moon! Crystal Power Kiss!" The attack hit the monster again.

"Beautiful!" She screamed, and her Star Sign fused back into her chest. Risa collapsed onto the ground, and the oil vanished from Haruka. She quickly ran over to Risa.

"Risa-san, Risa-san, are you alright?" She asked, shaking her. Risa's eyes slowly opened up.

"What happened...?" She asked slowly.

"You were really carsick, so you ended up passing out on the street here. But I made sure you didn't get hurt."

"That was so nice of you!" Risa gushed. "My heroine protects me from a wave of carsickness!" She reached up and hugged her tightly. "Now all I wanna do is drift and drift until I get it perfect! So let's do it again!" She slowly got up to her feet, then walked unsteadily over to her car. Haruka looked behind her, but both Eternal Sailor Moon and Super Sailor Neptune somehow seemed to instantly vanish. Where Usagi and Michiru should've been, however, they weren't.

"Alright, but be careful. It wouldn't be good if you kept getting sick!" Haruka laughed, getting into her own car. The two continued to practice their drifting until the sun was low in the sky and Risa had to reluctantly call it a day.

"Thank you for all your help today though." She thanked Haruka after they returned to the garage. Michiru and Usagi were here, playing with a very tired-looking Chibiusa.

"No problem. You were fairly easy to teach. Just keep practicing and maybe someday I might even race against you." Haruka smiled, and Risa got hearts in her eyes.

"Racing with my one true idol? That would be a dream come true!" She happily swooned and danced around in her summery sundress.

"Teenagers. They're so crazy with love." Usagi laughed.

"I remember a certain somebody who used to act that way around Haruka," Michiru whispered to her, and giggled when her face blushed red with embarrassment.

"I was fifteen back then, Michiru-san! I made mistakes back then!" Usagi shot back. Michiru kept giggling, then got up from her seat and glided over to Haruka.

"Ready to go home, kitten?" She teased, quickly kissing Haruka on the lips. Usagi didn't pay any attention to it, but Risa quickly noticed it as she was gathering up her bag.

"Lesbians!" She announced in shock, then sprinted out. Haruka and Michiru looked in her direction.

"Did you just hear Risa-san say something?" Michiru asked in confusion. "I thought I heard her say something as she left."

"Probably just a rushed goodbye or something." Haruka shrugged. "Anyway, it's late, so we gotta get you home, dumpling."

"See, there you go with teasing me again!" Usagi said. Chibiusa had fallen asleep at this point, so she did her best to lower her voice.

"My car is still in the parking lot. Let's go." She grabbed anything extra she needed from the garage, then shut the lights off. Once they got to her actual car, they took their usual seats and Haruka sped off.

###########

Later on that night, Ami decided to do some late night research on the Sailors' recent experiences on the special computer she carried for such purposes. She looked up some information on their new Eternal forms and found out that these were the final forms that both the Inner and the Outer Senshi could achieve, and therefore it was their most powerful. She learned that the girls had to defeat the villain that represented their own Zodiac sign to unlock the power, which the team already knew. Ami sucked on one end of the pencil she was holding in frustration. What did this mean for Sailor Moon, then? She quickly typed in that name into her computer and found out that Sailor Moon herself had one more transformation she had to unlock before she will be considered fully transformed. The next form is even stronger than Eternal Sailor Moon, but to Ami's dismay, she couldn't find any graphics of it. She was about to shut down her computer for the night when a single phrase caught her eye. She leaned a bit closer and read:

"In order for Eternal Sailor Moon to unlock her next and final tier of power, she must already have possession of the Silver Crystal. If that is correct, then she next collect the crystal responsible for her new transformation, known simply as the Diamond Crystal. The only way to obtain this crystal is for Eternal Sailor Moon herself to sacrifice herself in some way to save a friend. Then, the crystal shall appear to her and unlock her new transformation. This is the only known way for her to become the last of her forms, a form currently known as Princess Sailor Moon."

Ami gasped and promptly dropped her computer on the bed.


	8. Episode 8: Pisces Finds a Double Target?

Usagi woke up early in the morning, excited to test out the stroller she had bought for Chibiusa several weeks earlier but hadn't actually used. She figured she'd have to wait a bit longer, but Chibiusa had gotten awfully squirmy in her arms as of late, and Usagi couldn't risk her accidentally being dropped. She quickly ate a cold breakfast, showered, and prepared some mashed-up pears for Chibiusa's breakfast. The girl was slightly more compliant with the eating arrangements this time around, actually opening her mouth on her own instead of being told to. After she had eaten, Usagi bathed and dressed her in tight winter clothes, strapped her into the dark blue stroller, and headed down the road for Minako's. The maneuvering of the stroller was very hard due to all the snow still on the ground, but luckily there wasn't any actual ice on the sidewalk. The walk to Minako's would've been long even in the summer, but in the winter, it took almost three times as long.

Minako lived near the edge of the city. She had jumped on the chance to move into the same district as everyone else so she could be close to her friends, yet despite her large amounts of money, she lived in a pretty small place. Usagi knocked on the door softly, hoping Minako wasn't doing anything that would prevent her from hearing her. Luckily, the door opened a few seconds later to reveal Minako wearing a white lacy blouse and a tight red jumper. A small locket charm dangled from her shirt's collar. As usual, her face brightened when she saw Usagi. "Usagi-chan! I didn't know you were going to stop by today! What a pleasant surprise! Come in, please!" She gushed, instantly pulling the stroller out of Usagi's hands and wheeling it into her living room. Usagi slowly slipped out of both her shoes and coat and ran after her. "So, any reason why you came over?" Minako asked, flipping her hair.

"No, I just wanted to visit." Usagi shrugged. It was the truth, all of the girls enjoyed being in Minako's house after all. She furnished it with all the latest European furniture styles, and she had two separate closets in her room; one for her regular clothes and one for everything she'd ever modeled. Usagi sat down on the red velvet couch and gently pushed the stroller back and forth to soothe Chibiusa.

"You know what would be fun to do today?" Minako asked.

"What?"

"Swimming. It's a shame it's winter and so cold out, otherwise we'd totally do it!" Minako grinned and went into the kitchen.

"Don't you have a private pool?"

"No, they won't let me build one in this house, or even install one!" Minako cried. "They won't let me do the simplest of things sometimes!" Several loud noises followed this statement, implying she was trying to find something in one of her cupboards.

"Yeah, you can't even date anybody." Usagi said nonchalantly.

"That's more my own choice. I don't think I have enough free time for a husband! All those flings are just for blitz, and those aren't even real. It's not like we actually kiss or anything." Minako explained, and Usagi looked at the door. All of her friends seemed to live in a totally different world when it came to romance and relationships, and she suddenly felt bad that she was able to find happiness in her own marriage.

"Well, if you wanna go swimming, I'm sure the Outers could arrange it for us." Usagi suggested, trying to move off the current topic. Minako came back into the living room with a tea tray with nothing inside the actual cups.

"Really? Why'd they spend that kind of money on us?" She asked.

"It can't be that expensive to rent out a private, indoor pool or something. They also might want to swim, you know. Even though they keep to themselves, they still have normal human emotions!" Usagi said.

"I never said they didn't..." Minako said, and both girls looked away from each other. Chibiusa reached out for a china lamp that was next to her and Usagi narrowly stopped her from grabbing it. Minako laughed. "Those lamps must remind her of Hotaru-chan, huh?"

"Maybe. She spent a lot of time over there back when she still lived with her father." Usagi stood up, and Minako looked up at her.

"Where are you going? The tea's not even brewing yet!" She protested.

"I'm going to ask the Outers if they can take us swimming." Usagi stated.

"Can't you just call them on your phone? We all have each others' numbers, after all."

"I'd rather see them in person. See you later, Minako-chan!" She smiled and waved, and Minako waved back. Usagi slipped her coat and shoes back on, then carefully pushed the stroller back outside into the snow. The Outers lived on the other side of town, and Usagi wasn't looking forward to the long walk at all. She sighed and continued on her way.

##########

Meanwhile, in the abandoned video game arcade, Aquarius and Pisces flipped through through a magazine, trying to find new targets.

"This is so frustrating! I wish there was a sure-fire way to find a new target who actually has a true Star Sign!" Pisces griped, leaning back on the couch.

"You must remain patient about these things, Sakana-san. After all, if that bimbo before us found a true one, there surely must be hope for us since we're partners!" Aquarius smiled.

"You're right! Hey, stop there!" Pisces demanded, then she took the magazine from Aquarius. "Wow, this is perfect!" The magazine had opened to a page on famous Japanese celebrities with a Pisces zodiac sign, including an article and portrait of Michiru. "We've found a gold mine, Mizu-san!"

"Indeed we have, Sakana-san! What have I said about being patient? It makes me wonder if there is a page for Aquarius too!" Aquarius laughed.

"And this is the girl we'll go after!" Pisces grinned and pointed to a slightly younger girl whose picture was above Michiru's. "It says she's a renowned painter who does still life! And that she'll be at the water park this afternoon! We can go after her!" She laughed. Aquarius took the magazine back from her.

"But what about this other girl, this Kaioh Michiru?" She asked. "She looks more likely to have a true Star Sign than that other girl. Seriously, look at her hair! Only a guardian of this solar system would have hair that strangely-colored!"

"We'll just go after both then, after all, they're bound to be in the same place, right?" Pisces started dancing. "Oh, we'll be ruling the throne along with Mistress in no time! It's great, wonderful, fantastic!"

##############

"An indoor water park?" Michiru asked.

"Yeah! You guys could rent one out for the rest of the girls. It couldn't be very expensive for you guys at all!" Usagi gushed.

"I don't feel like swimming today," Setsuna said, looking up from her book.

"Let them have a little bit of fun! One is going to become queen in a few years, best to let her live now." Haruka said.

"A water park?" Hotaru called from the kitchen. She quickly ran in. "I wanna go too! Can I please go? Are we going?" She asked excitedly. She looked over at the stroller, and her eyes lit up again. "Chibiusa-chan!" She knelt in front of the stroller and held the baby's hands.

"I suppose there's no harm in us going to one. We're not renting it out, but we'll pay for anything you girls want." Michiru eventually relented. "And the first thing we're buying are new swim-suits!"

"What's wrong with our old ones?" Usagi asked.

"When was the last time you guys bought new ones? Chances are they don't fit anymore, and with your baby body..." Michiru smiled a bit.

"Hey! I'm not that out-of-shape at all!" Usagi protested, and the three girls giggled. Setsuna merely shut her book.

"Alright, but I'm not swimming." She insisted.

###########

True to their word, the older girls managed to get the younger ones into the pool, although they didn't rent it out. There was a small amount of people there, but they mostly seemed to sit around, leaving a majority of the slides and pools to the Senshi. Almost all of them instantly ran for the biggest pool and jumped in, creating a huge wave of water to splash onto the cement. Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna pulled over some chairs and laid down in them, preferring to watch the younger girls.

After a while, though, they all realized how silly it looked for a group of nineteen-year-old woman to be splashing each other recklessly, so they all stood around in the water awkwardly. Hotaru tugged on Ami's arm.

"Ami-san, want to go on one of those water slides with me? We could go down one of the big ones!" She smiled, and Ami smiled back.

"Alright! Just don't pick anything too fast, alright?" Hotaru climbed out of the water using a ladder and led Ami over to a small blue one.

"I heard this one even wraps around the outside of the building! That's how big it is!" Hotaru explained happily. While they went on the water slide, the other four formulated a plan to get the other girls into the water.

"It'll be just like with our snowball fight, only this time, we splash them!" Makoto grinned.

"Makoto-chan, that seems even more reckless than the snow! Don't you think that maybe those three just want to be left alone today?" Rei suggested.

"I think it's stupid that they invite us out here and then not have fun! Everyone should have fun and swim!" Minako said, and she dove under the water. She silently swam over to where the chairs where, and with as much grace and strength as she could muster, she jumped out of the water and dove back in, showering the three in a big wave. The three cried out in surprise.

"Who did this?" Setsuna demanded, taking off her sunglasses.

"You know." Michiru giggled and looked over at the others, who all looked quite pleased with themselves.

"We won't get into the water that easily! You'll have to fight harder!" Haruka grinned.

"Issuing us another challenge? Alright then!" Makoto grinned back and dove underwater, swimming away from the chairs this time. She came back up under one of the slides and promptly untied her wrap, revealing her green bikini bottom. She dove back underwater and resurfaced in front of the chairs. "You wanted a challenge, and now you have one! Minako-chan, use this!" She tossed the wrap to Minako, who smiled and swam over to her.

"Venus Wet Skirt Chain Attack!" She slapped Michiru's leg with it, making her gasp and leaving water drops on her leg.

"Hey, you're not allowed to fight dirty!" She smiled. "Now you'll see how a ruler of the water does it!" She flipped her hair and dove into the water, splashing the girls. She resurfaced and spit water out of her mouth. "You four can't catch me!" She dove underwater again and swam away really fast, and Makoto followed her. She was slightly faster than before because she didn't have her wrap on, but she still had trouble catching up to Michiru. The two eventually resurfaced near the water slides, and Michiru giggled.

"You're way too fast for me!" Makoto said in awe.

"I told you you can't beat a water element." Michiru giggled again. "Still, it was a worthy attempt."

Meanwhile, a younger teenage girl walked into the pool and ran over to Michiru, taking care not to fall into the water. She had a very fancy gown on, and the others were wondering if she had a bathing suit on underneath.

"Excuse me? Are you Kaioh-san?" She asked politely, and Michiru nodded. "I'm a famous painter who managed to break into the industry, my name is Julianna Meyers!" She smiled.

"A foreigner?" Makoto asked, and Julianna nodded.

"I am from England! I moved here to Japan recently though! Sorry if my Japanese isn't very good yet..." She blushed suddenly and looked away, her blonde curls covering her dark blue eyes.

"Nonsense, I think your Japanese sounds just fine!" Michiru smiled and pulled herself out of the pool. She took her towel off her chair and dried her face off with it. "Anyway, what did you need from me?"

"I heard you paint too? Do you think maybe we could do a collaboration together? Since we're both famous and all..." Julianna suggested.

"I used to paint a lot when I was younger, but not very much anymore. I'm known for being an excellent violinist, and that's all I practice now." Michiru explained. "But I like your idea! You seem like you would be a very fun girl to work with!"

"Really? I'm glad you think so." Julianna smiled a bit and flipped her curls. "I love your hair too, it's like looking at a ocean on a windy day."

"Thank you! That was the intent when I dyed it!"

"I should've known it was dyed."

As they were talking, two more women walked into the park, the woman from the race track and a new woman. The new one was dressed in a dark green school uniform with a black cap and fingerless gloves on. Her hair was pink and flowed to the ground. She walked over to Julianna with a grin.

"Miss Julianna, the young painter! You are a prodigy, I hear!" She smiled and her green sunglasses shined.

"Yes, I am. What about it?" Julianna asked nervously.

"Don't worry, we're just reporters!" Aquarius explained in English. "We want to interview you!" Her sunglasses gleamed.

"Oh, well if it's just an interview, I see nothing wrong!" Julianna grinned, obviously relieved they were speaking her own language.

"And you too, miss!" The pink-haired girl smiled and pointed over at Michiru. "You are a violinist, and our article is about famous painters and violinists!"

"Wait, aren't you the same girl who wanted to interview Risa-san the other day?" Haruka asked suspiciously.

"Damn you, how could you be so crafty?" Aquarius demanded, ripping off her disguise.

"It sure saved us time though!" Pisces laughed, tearing off her clothes and revealing orange fins on her arms, legs, and a dark green bikini. Her hair remained pink but took the shape of a flowing wave. "Now, you both are under the protection of Pisces, so just give me your Star Signs now and nobody gets hurt!"

The girls gasped. Minako jumped out of the pool and ran towards the doors, but Aquarius flicked her wrist and locked the doors. "Nobody's getting out of here today!" She laughed.

"Oh no, she's right! The doors are locked!" Minako cried, tugging on them. Pisces laughed as well and flicked her wrist in front of Julianna and Michiru, causing their Star Signs to fall out of their chests and making them scream. Julianna's turned dull grey, but Michiru's glowed aquamarine. The girls gasped in shock again. Michiru fell to the ground and her eyes glossed over. Pisces grinned.

"A true Star Sign! Who knew I'd be so lucky on my first try?" She snatched up Michiru's quickly and held it tightly in her hand. "You'll have a monster to deal with, but oh well! We got what we came here for!" Aquarius walked over to Pisces and smiled.

"Yeah, goodbye!" The two prepared to leave, but were stopped by someone chucking their sunglasses at them.

"Give Michiru-san her Star Sign back!" Usagi demanded.

"What makes you think we're going to listen to you brats?" Aquarius grinned cruelly. "Our monster will appear any second to take you guys out, so we have to go!"

"You two aren't going anywhere until we get that Star Sign back!" A voice demanded from the shadows. Eternal Sailor Mercury and Super Sailor Saturn stepped out in their transformed forms.

"Mercury!" Makoto said in surprise.

"Saturn!" Setsuna said in equal surprise. The girls' hair was still dripping, evidence of where they had been recently.

"Sailor Senshi! Well, you're too late!" Pisces laughed.

"I don't think we are! Mercury! Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury fired her attack at Pisces, which made her scream and drop the fish-shaped Star Sign. Setsuna quickly took it away and placed it on Michiru's chest, and it quickly slid back inside.

"Damn you bothersome girls!" Pisces swore. "I don't care how long it takes, we will get a true Star Sign and we won't be foiled by you!"

"Don't worry, they still have our monster to contend with!" Aquarius laughed, and Pisces grinned. "Byebye!" The two vanished, allowing Julianna to fully transform into a monster. She grew fins on her arms and legs, and her skin turned a dark blue. Her clothes transformed into a tight mermaid gown.

"Artistlina!" She cried and formed a paintbrush.

"Haruka-san, you watch Michiru-san and make sure she's okay! We'll deal with the monster!" Minako directed, and Haruka nodded.

"Mars Eternal Power, Makeup!"

"Jupiter Eternal Power, Makeup!"

"Venus Eternal Power, Makeup!"

"Moon Eternal, Makeup!"

"Pluto Planet Power, Makeup!"

All of the girls transformed and did their signature poses.

"Nice to see you guys could finally join us!" Saturn smiled. "Your hair is all wet though!"

"You think it would dry when we transformed!" Eternal Sailor Venus said in surprise, taking several strands of it in her hands.

"Never mind that, let's deal with the monster!" Mercury suggested. The monster took advantage of their distraction and threw several sharpened paintbrushes at them, causing them to scream and run away in various directions.

"Hey now, stand still! I just wanna paint you all!" She complained, this time throwing sharp pencils at them. This time, they managed to latch onto Mars and pin her to the wall.

"Mars!" Jupiter cried, running over to her.

"Venus Wink Chain Sword!" Venus announced, forming her sword and slashing through the enemy's side. The monster screamed and held it.

"What a bothersome subject you are! I'll deal with you!" She threw a pen at Venus, which wrapped around her waist and trapped her. "Now, who's next?" She formed a watercolor set and hurled it at Sailor Pluto, who managed to dodge it easily.

"You'll have to try a little harder than that!" She smiled. "Dead Scream." She fired her attack at the monster, which made her scream again and fall to the ground. "Sailor Moon, now!" She directed, and Eternal Sailor Moon nodded.

She pulled out her wand and did her attack, causing the monster to cry out and transform back into Julianna. She fell to the concrete and her Star Sign went back into her chest. The pencils and pen vanished as well, leaving Venus and Mars free.

"I wonder if she's okay?" Mercury wondered, walking over to her.

"What about Michiru-mama? She still hasn't woken up yet!" Saturn said worriedly.

"If we had any doubt before, this certainly confirms everything." Pluto stated. "We are the holders of true Star Signs."

"Why is it that we're the holders of everything they want?" Venus cried. "Just once, can't it be somebody else's problem?"

"We're the guardians of this Solar System, it only makes sense for it to be us." Jupiter answered.

"Hey, I think Michiru-san is waking up!" Mars announced, and all the girls ran over to her. She stirred slightly and her eyes opened, and they were back to normal.

"Michiru-mama! I was so worried that you weren't okay!" Saturn cried, hugging her tightly.

"What happened to me?" Michiru asked weakly.

"You were attacked by one of the villains, who took out your Star Sign. You have a true one since you're a guardian of the solar system." Jupiter explained gravely.

"From now on, we must be extremely careful. These villains seem to be very smart at knowing who holds them, either that or it's incredibly dumb luck. Either way, we must be watchful of what we do." Pluto cautioned.

"I think Julianna's starting to wake up!" Mercury said, and all of the girls quickly detransformed back into their regular forms. Julianna woke up and held her head.

"What happened? My head hurts..." She said.

"You lost your balance and fell over into the pool, but don't worry, you were rescued by Michiru-san!" Ami explained.

"Really? Oh, Kaioh-san, thank you!" Julianna gushed.

"You're welcome..." Michiru said in confusion.

"So, everything is back to normal, but somehow I don't feel very much like swimming anymore." Minako stated. She walked over to Michiru's beach chair and grabbed Makoto's wrap and tossed it to her.

"Yeah, I don't feel like swimming either." Makoto said, putting her wrap back on.

"Me either." Rei shrugged.

"Hopefully it wasn't because of anything I did!" Julianna panicked slightly. Michiru stood up and held her hand out to her.

"Julianna, I'll do that collaboration painting with you." She said. Julianna took her hand and stared at her in surprise.

"But I thought you didn't paint anymore!"

"I don't, but I'm willing to do one painting with you. What will you have me paint?"

"Are you good at landscapes?" The two giggled.

###########

"Julianna and Michiru-mama are going to reveal their painting here in the park! Aren't you guys excited?" Hotaru asked excitedly, running over to Usagi and Mamoru.

"I bet it's going to be really pretty!" Ami gushed.

"It's a shame Makoto-chan got called away from this event to go work." Rei said sadly.

"Oh well, we'll just tell her about it!" Minako said. "Or better yet, take a picture of it!"

"Be quiet, they're getting ready to present!" Mamoru shushed the three girls, and they nodded and looked ahead. Hotaru sat on her ankles in front of Usagi's stroller so she could be next to Chibiusa.

"I am so glad I'm able to present the lovely painting that I did with the even lovelier Kaioh-san!" Julianna started with a big smile on her face.

"I haven't painted in forever, but with Miss Julianna by my side, I felt like a natural at it again! I sure hope you people will be as amazed by our colors' harmonies as we were when we picked them!" Michiru announced, then she pulled the curtain off the painting. The painting was a simple one of a sunset pouring itself into a green sea, but the colors blended together almost flawlessly. The crowd gasped, then started applauding.

"Wow, they love us, Kaioh-san! I must ask though, how did you portray the sea as vividly as this? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were the reincarnation of some sea goddess or something!" Julianna laughed.

"Silly, it's nothing like that. I just see the ocean differently than everybody else, I suppose." Michiru smiled. Her friends ran up to her.

"The painting looks really lovely, Michiru-san!" Minako gushed.

"Yeah, it's a shame you don't do it very much anymore!" Usagi said. Rei stepped on her foot.

"Idiot, don't say something like that to her!" She scolded.

"Well, it's the truth!" Usagi shot back.

"You shouldn't fight in front of the baby!" Ami suggested.

"Do you think Miss Julianna will let us keep it, Michiru-mama?" Hotaru asked.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Michiru said, looking over at her.

"You can keep it, I have no reason to have it. I have dozens of others in my studio in Liverpool. Keep it and let it remind you of your glorious talent!" Julianna smiled and walked off the stage. "Perhaps we shall meet again, Miss Kaioh! Until then, so long!" She said in English with a wave.

"I hope I shall see you again soon as well!" Michiru said in English and waved back at her.

"Wow, when did you learn English, Michiru-san?" Rei asked, impressed.

"There's a lot you don't know about us Outer Senshi," She responded mysteriously with a wink.

"Speaking of us, it's about time we headed home." Setsuna said. "Come along, little princess. I'll even let you help me cook dinner tonight!"

"Really? Alright!" Hotaru cheered and ran off the stage. Michiru covered the painting back up again and Haruka helped her lift it off the easel. The four Outers all piled into Haruka's car and sped away back to their house, leaving the Inners alone.

"We should follow their example and head home as well," Ami suggested.

"Or we could go visit Makoto-chan at work!" Minako cheered, and the others agreed and ran off.

"Wait, I don't think that's a very good idea! She might be busy!" Ami called after them, but they all ignored her. She sighed. "Wait for me, you guys!" She ran after them.


	9. Episode 9: Aquarius Strikes Again!

"What do you think we should do today?" Rei asked, leaning back in her seat. The girls had all decided to visit Makoto's bakery for the second day in a row. They all said it was to see their best friend in action, but it was really because of how good her food was.

"We don't have any expectations or deadlines with our careers." Minako said.

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't worry about them!" Ami announced. "Besides, look at Usagi-chan! Out of all of us, she's the one who's always working!" She pointed over to Usagi, who was pushing her stroller slowly to soothe Chibiusa while she also drank her orange soda.

"Motherhood looks hard! I don't think I could ever do it!" Minako cried.

"Then we should all be really respectful of Usagi. She's doing the thing we never could do!" Rei said.

"Settle down with kids?" Ami suggested right as Makoto came over to the table.

"How are you guys? Sorry I could only now come over here, the rush today was surprisingly long!" She laughed. She was dressed in a tight green turtleneck, loose blue jeans, green sneakers, and had a light yellow apron tied over her clothes. "But everything seems to have calmed down for now, so mind if I join you guys?" She pulled up a nearby chair and sat down.

"What do you think we should do today, Makoto-chan? The girls and I can't come up with an idea." Rei said.

"How about we go spend time with the Outers again?" Makoto suggested.

"We spend so much time with them already, don't you think they're getting sick of us? After all, they all have jobs and a daughter who is already a second year in junior high! They're always so much more busier than us." Ami said.

"Maybe we could go do something by ourselves. Go to the park or something." Rei offered. "Although, it'd be all covered in snow..."

Minako dipped her finger in her cake's icing and offered her finger to Chibiusa, who took it in her mouth and happily started sucking it. Ami gave her a dirty look.

"Minako-chan! That's not very good for her at all!" She scolded.

"It shouldn't hurt her if it's just a little bit..." Makoto said.

"Besides, she looks like she's enjoying it! If we take it out of her mouth, she might cry!" Minako finished. Chibiusa kept sucking on her finger.

"I remember on my nineteenth birthday when Mamo-chan bought us a chocolate ice-cream cake, and I laid in my bed in the delivery room and ate it with him!" Usagi gushed. "The doctor told me I could only have one piece because my hormones were still unbalanced from the birth, and I tried to eat more and Mamo-chan actually took the doctor's advice! So I only got one piece of birthday cake on my birthday!" She finished with a pout.

"It was worth it though, wasn't it? Now you have Chibusa-chan!" Makoto smiled. Minako finally popped her finger out of the baby's mouth and continued to eat her own cake. Chibiusa tried to reach for it, but Minako just giggled.

"Nope, I'm afraid that's all you're going to get from me!" She laughed. "According to Ami-chan, frosting is bad for you!"

"Maybe you guys are the reason she turned out the way she did..." Usagi groaned.

"Hey, that's the university my daughter goes to! Could somebody please turn it up? I want to know what's happening!" A woman asked from somewhere near the girls, and Makoto nodded.

"Hold on, I'll turn it up for you!" She jumped out of her chair and ran over behind her counter and rummaged around for the TV remote, eventually finding it under the register. She quickly turned it up.

"...Several students have already vanished mysteriously from this prestigious academy, but according to the reports of their guardians, the strangest event isn't the actual disappearance itself, it's what happens to the students once they are found." The reporter said, and the girls gasped.

"Mysterious vanishings at a college? I think we found what we're doing today!" Minako cheered.

"It might be dangerous, Minako-chan! What if we're captured too?" Ami cautioned.

"We'll be fine, we used to do this sort of thing all of the time." Rei shrugged. Usagi was currently trying to stop Chibiusa from roughly pulling on her hair.

"Well, my daughter was one of the people kidnapped from the academy last week, but they found her very quickly just the next morning. But she had...changed somehow. She was always a very good student and kept up with her studies, but now she's refusing to study at all! She keeps failing all of her assignments!" The woman on the TV cried.

"Do you think it has something to do with the trauma of being kidnapped?" The reporter asked, but the woman just shook her head.

"No, this has to be something different. It was a very sporadic change." She finished.

"Wow, that sounds like Senshi business to me!" Minako grinned.

"We should still be careful! After all, we could end up getting kidnapped and having our brains scrambled too!" Rei cried. "Although, a more serious Usagi isn't a bad thing..."

"Hey!" Usagi yelled. "Besides, I'm not going with you guys. Mamo-chan's taking me out on a dinner date tonight!" She swooned.

"Don't you need a babysitter?" Ami asked.

"I don't see why my parents can't do it." She shrugged. Makoto came back over to their table.

"So, I suppose it's settled? We're going undercover and investigating that academy!" She smiled.

##########

"So, this must be the college." Rei commented, taking in the large size of it. To be fair, it wasn't as spooky-looking as they expected it to be, although its sheer size and darkened windows didn't help matters very much.

"How are we going to get in there though? We have no idea where to get the uniforms the students are wearing!" Ami said, but Minako simply pulled something out of her pocket.

"Volia! I too can transform into various people, and I bet I could transform all of us!" She held her compact up over her head. "Transform us into Juuban University Students!" Suddenly, the four girls were surrounded in a bright white light, but it vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the girls standing in school uniforms.

All of them had the same outfit on, a tight cream-colored blouse, a red bow tied to their collars, a loose red vest that buttoned up to their chests, a knee-length black skirt, and black flats. Minako got black tights with her outfit, Ami and Rei got black kneesocks, and Makoto got black ankle-socks. Ami's hair got a red headband in it, Makoto's hair was down, Rei's was in a ponytail tied with a red bow, and Minako's was braided.

"We look so convincing!" Minako gushed.

"Lower your voice! We're supposed to be undercover! If the villain finds out we're here, we could get in trouble!" Ami warned.

"I don't see any signs of trouble yet, so why don't we just go explore the inside of the school? I bet we'll find some super cool stuff!" Makoto suggested, and the other girls agreed. They all ran up the stairs to the college and went inside.

########

"I sense a presence in this academy...some very strong energy is here." Mistress said, pouting her grey lips. "You told me that anybody with such energy would be removed!" The shadows covering her had moved slightly, revealing jet-black nails and glowing blue eyes the color of a sky at twilight. Her hair curled to her shoulders and resembled a night sky full of stars and was dark blue in color. Her skin, on the other hand, was a dull silver.

"I know, and I'm working on it! Besides, these girls aren't anybody special, so I'll just take care of them the way I've been dealing with all those other students who decided to get clever and meddle in my business!" Aquarius grinned. "After all, such magnificent plans cannot possibly be contained in one building, right?" She laughed.

"Do not fail me, get rid of those girls! Capture their Star Signs while you're at it, but do it far away from there. There's already enough publicity on that place as it is." Mistress leaned back in her black throne and looked up at the solar system model again. "We've found two guardians of this solar system already, it seems. I wonder if there are more? There must be more."

"Will Pisces be accompanying me this time, Mistress?" Aquarius asked, but Mistress shook her head.

"You are doing this alone."

"Yes, I understand." Aquarius bowed. "I promise I will not fail you." She spun around and found herself in a similar uniform, except with a blue jacket instead of red. Then she vanished from the throne room.

##########

"Wow, this place is so huge!" Makoto gushed.

"And fancy!" Minako added, swooning over the large eating area complete with a chandelier.

"I bet they eat fancy French food in here all the time for breakfast and lunch!" Rei said.

"It looks like a boarding school, so possibly dinner too." Makoto said, peeking over the lunch counter to see if she could look into the kitchen.

"I wish I could go to a school like this!" Minako spun around happily.

"You guys, we're supposed to investigating the reasons behind the students vanishing and coming back with the opposite personality!" Ami reminded them. Makoto leaned too far over the counter and found herself starting to slip behind it.

"I lost my balance!" She cried.

"Hold on, I got you!" Rei ran over to her and grabbed her hand and pulled her up and out of the counter space. Ami merely glared at them.

"Ami-chan makes a good point. While I love the scenery, Senshi business comes first, and this is certainly Senshi business." Minako stated in a serious tone of voice. She started to walk out of the cafe with a determined look in her step, only to lose it once she bumped into three other women.

"Look what I caught here, a little kitten who's very lost." Haruka winked.

"Minako-san? What are you and your friends doing here?" Setsuna asked.

"I could ask the same of you three!" Makoto said, walking over to them.

"Do you guys actually go to this school?" Ami asked.

"No, we don't. We heard the same news you four did and disguised ourselves so we could look into it further." Setsuna explained.

"How did you manage to get uniforms?" Minako asked.

"What did I tell you the other day? There's a lot you don't know about us." Michiru winked. Her uniform resembled the younger girls', except she had a black ribbon tied around her collar and a matching one in her hair. Setsuna's jacket was cream and was buttoned over a tight black dress that was very modest-looking, making her resemble a professor. Haruka was wearing the male uniform, which had a red tie, black jacket and black pants instead of a red jacket and black skirt.

"So, it looks like we all have the same goal." Ami said. "What if we just stick together? Safety in numbers and all that."

"I don't really care what we do as long as we don't get kidnapped and brain-drained." Rei announced.

"You're just afraid of your opposite self!" Minako teased.

While they were talking, a woman in a blue jacket and matching uniform came up to them with a tray full of orange soda. "Ah, you six must be the new students I heard about! And you must be the new physics teacher!" She motioned over in Setsuna's direction.

"New students? We're not-" Rei started to protest, only to get cut off by Michiru.

"Yes, we are! As you can tell, we're very lost and don't know right from left here! We would really appreciate any sort of direction you can give us!" Michiru said sweetly, turning up her charm.

"Lucky for you, classes aren't going on right now, so you won't get into trouble for not being there! They start in fifteen minutes, which is more than enough time to show you guys where you need to go." Aquarius beamed in her disguise. "You guys look really parched though, so before we go on, please, drink some soda!" She held the tray out to them.

"Oh, thank you! I was feeling pretty thirsty!" Minako smiled widely and took one of the goblets and drowned the soda very quickly. Rei and Ami took some and drank theirs a bit slower, but Makoto politely rejected.

"I'm not very thirsty..." She blushed a little.

"How about you three?" Aquarius held the tray out towards the older women. Setsuna declined, but both Michiru and Haruka took some and drank theirs slowly. After everyone was finished drinking, Aquarius took the empty goblets away and set them on a nearby table. "Alright, now let's get you guys to where you all need to be! Do you remember what classes you were scheduled to take at this hour?"

The girls all quickly looked at each other, then nodded at her.

"I'm supposed to be in Advanced Medical Sciences." Ami said shyly.

"I'm supposed to be taking a cookery class right now," Makoto added.

"Mine is a religion studies class." Rei said.

"And mine is a choir class!" Minako smiled again.

"I'm a physics teacher, so show me to the class I'm assigned to teach." Setsuna said smoothly.

"We're both in a classical music studies class!" Michiru gushed, still using her sweet tone. She quickly grabbed Haruka's hand to emphasize her claim.

"Wonderful! Let's be on our way, if you'll just follow me..." Aquarius headed out of the cafe, and the girls all followed behind her in silence. They kept their guards up for any sudden attacks or traps, but everything was still in the academy. Aquarius led them up several flights of stairs, and suddenly Minako cried out in pain and clutched her stomach.

"Minako-chan! What's wrong?" Ami asked in concern.

"My stomach...suddenly started hurting..." Minako managed. She fell to her knees.

"Excuse me, but she needs to go to a medical wing!" Makoto called ahead at Aquarius. Aquarius stopped walking and turned around, but made no other movements.

"Didn't you hear her? Our friend is sick!" Rei yelled at her.

"Suddenly, I don't feel so hot either..." Ami fell to the ground beside Minako, who had passed out a few seconds prior.

"Ouch, my stomach hurts too!" Michiru cried out, falling backwards and almost hitting her head on the stairs. Haruka caught her at the last second.

"Maybe there was something bad in the soda?" Makoto offered.

"What's happening? My stomach feels tight!" Rei announced, falling over on her side and passing out as well. Haruka and Michiru collapsed to their feet a few seconds later, leaving only Setsuna and Makoto untouched.

"Oh, dear! I'm afraid that soda I served you was flat!" Aquarius said in pretend shock.

"Yeah right! Just flat soda on its own doesn't do this! You poisoned it!" Makoto accused. Both her and Setsuna took fighting stances.

"Such violent women you are! I don't think this university needs you here now...or ever!" Aquarius grinned and fired a large wave of water at Setsuna, knocking her into a wall.

"Setsuna-san!" Makoto cried. "You're going to pay for what you did to my friends!" She promised, charging at Aquarius and grabbing her wrists.

"What?" Aquarius asked in surprise. "Let go of me!"

"No way!" Makoto tightened her grip and threw Aquarius down, slamming her onto the floor. This made Aquarius' disguise fade away and reveal her flowing blue robes. Makoto gasped.

"Now you'll really pay!" She stood up and sent another large wave of water at Makoto, who dodged it too slowly. She ended up getting swept across the floor by it.

"What...are you...planning...to...do...with my friends...?" Makoto struggled to ask. Aquarius simply grinned at her.

"Look how weak you are! Don't bother with asking me anything, or even talking! All will be revealed in time. Now sleep, sleep..." She waved her hand at Makoto, who found herself slipping into an unwanted deep sleep.

##########

Usagi was up early the next morning partially because Chibiusa wasn't satisfied with her dinner the previous night and wanted to make up for it with breakfast, so she cried loudly until Usagi woke up and dealt with her. She was mashing up apples for her when Mamoru came into the kitchen with a worried expression on his face.

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi said happily, but quickly changed her tone when she saw his face. "What's wrong?"

"Have you heard the news?" He asked gravely, and Usagi shook her head. "Seven more students were kidnapped there yesterday afternoon, and as you most likely know, our friends went there to investigate yesterday afternoon."

"Oh, no! Are you telling me they've all been kidnapped?" Usagi asked with a worried edge in her voice.

"That's what the news says, and I'm willing to believe it. That place has been giving me strange vibes lately, so it only seems accurate that they went missing too."

"But the missing students always show up again, but with a personality the opposite of their own!"

"Be mindful of how your friends act these next couple of days, Usako. Everyone's saying it's just trauma, but we both know its the work of an enemy."

Usagi nodded and handed Chibiusa her bowl of apples. "Why do villains have to show up now when I'm a mother..." She asked nobody in particular. She took a small pink spoon and started feeding her impatient daughter her breakfast. Mamoru playfully tugged on one of her dumplings and they both smiled a bit, then looked away. Mamoru cooked them both breakfast while Usagi finished feeding Chibiusa hers, then she bathed her and dressed her in a light pink dress. She set her on her playmat so she would keep quiet and sat down to eat her own breakfast.

The two talked during breakfast this time, mainly of various things their friends managed to get themselves into. Usagi managed to make Mamoru laugh by recounting the time Minako got food poisoning the day of a huge gig and deciding to wing it when she threw up on herself in front of live TV audiences.

"That Minako-san...she'll never let her fans down." Mamoru laughed.

"I sure hope she's alright..." Usagi said, then covered up her mouth. "I mean, of course she's alright! How silly of me to assume otherwise!" Mamoru took her hands.

"Everyone will be alright, Usako. It's fine for you to believe in the positive side here." They both kissed and went back to eating.

#########

After eating breakfast. changing her clothes, and doing some laundry, Usagi finally got a call from two of her friends who went to Juuban University the other day; Makoto and Setsuna. She decided to answer Setsuna's call first, mostly because she believed it to be the most important one.

"Setsuna-san?" She asked. "Please tell me what's happened! Are you okay? What happened at the college yesterday?" She demanded in a rush.

"Yes, I'm alright, and so is Makoto-san. The villain gave us some sort of drink, and we were the only two who didn't drink it. I wasn't sure what was in it, but it made the other girls pass out. I got knocked out by the villain's attack, but when I came to, I found myself back in my own house. Strange, but everything on me was normal, so I suppose I just woke myself up and dragged myself back to my place alone. However, just because I'm fine doesn't mean everyone else is." Her tone turned grave at this.

"What do you mean? Aren't Haruka-san and Michiru-san with you?" Usagi asked, and Setsuna confirmed this.

"However, they are...you should just come over. You won't believe it if I just told you." She hung up at this, and although Usagi already knew what she meant, she still wondered a bit. She answered the call from Makoto next, which was basically the same thing Setsuna told her.

"But Ami-chan, Rei-chan, and Minako-chan aren't acting like themselves at all! I don't know if the villain did this or if it was the soda they drank or not, but it's starting to freak me out! I've managed to get them all here in my cafe, so please come over here as soon as you can!" Makoto said in a rush. Usagi said she would and hung up.

"Mamo-chan! I'm heading over to Setsuna-san's to check on everyone! I won't be gone too long!" She announced, then she threw on her coat and shoes and started running the second she felt the icy air hit her. She was positive she didn't stop running until the Outers' mansion was in sight, and she barely registered she was out of breath then. She knocked on the door.

"Usagi-san! What are you doing here?" Hotaru asked, answering the door.

"I'm here to see your parents." She said sweetly. "Are they home?"

Hotaru nodded. "They're not acting like they usually do though! It would be funny if one of them lost a bet or something, but I can sense evil energy emitting from them and so it's not very funny!" She cried. Usagi smoothed her hair down.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they're still the same parents you know and love." She went inside and took off her shoes and hung up her coat. "Where are they?"

"Well, Michiru-mama's laying on the couch there. She's been like that the whole morning, and refuses to clean herself up!" Hotaru pointed over at the couch, and Usagi leaned over it. Michiru was still wearing her white lacy nightgown, but one of the straps had fallen off her shoulder and she hadn't bothered to fix it. Spread out on the table in front of her were various items of fast food, the next one greasier and messier than the last. Her hair was tangled badly and several fries were stuck in it. She was currently watching TV while noisily slurping a soda through a straw.

"Michiru-san!" Usagi said in shock, which made her stop drinking and look up.

"Usagi-san! I didn't know you were going to visit today! Won't you sit here and talk with me?" She gushed, and Usagi covered her nose.

"Your breath stinks..."

"I told you, she's been turned into a total slob! She doesn't care about her looks at all anymore!" Hotaru cried.

"Little princess!" Setsuna called from the kitchen. "Come and eat your breakfast, it's ready now!" She set a large plate out on the table with a glass of apple juice.

"Yes, Setsuna-mama!" Hotaru said, then quickly climbed onto her chair and started eating.

"Why are you eating with a spoon like a girl, little princess? Use your hands, like a real woman does!" Michiru laughed and took a big bite out of a cheeseburger, making ketchup drip down her chin. Both Usagi and Setsuna recoiled in disgust.

"As Hotaru already told you, she's been like this all morning, and I can't figure out how to change her back. I'm sure it's something only you can do though, so the sooner you figure out the cure, the better."

"Wait, didn't you say Haruka-san was acting strange too?" Usagi asked, but no sooner had the question left her lips did she hear the sound of someone running into the living room.

"Oh, Michiru!~" The voice gushed. "Where on Earth did you put my red cherry lipstick? I was going to wear that tonight!"

"Haruka-papa!" Hotaru announced in shock, and Usagi covered her face even though she wasn't currently facing her. She only looked over when she felt Haruka wrap her arms around her waist.

"Good morning there, kitten! Your clothes are so fashionable, I'm so jealous. Can I have them when you're done?" Haruka giggled and winked. Usagi gently pulled herself out of Haruka's grasp.

"Haruka!" Michiru beamed, sitting up on the couch and leaning over. "Where's a good morning kiss for me?"

"You need to brush your teeth, and your hair, and change your clothes, and basically shower before you touch me. I cannot have such a fashion disaster such as you for a partner!" Haruka scoffed.

"Talk to me when you find a dress that actually fits you." Michiru commented before burping really loudly. "Oooh, it tasted just like fried chicken! That was tasty!" She giggled. Haruka looked away from her. She was currently wearing one of Michiru's lacy pink dresses that was really tight and even tied her beaded choker around her neck. On her head was a frilly pink headband.

"Well, you don't have to be so rude, you know! You're always like this to me!" Haruka pouted and ran out of the room, and Michiru simply shrugged and flopped back down on the couch again. Usagi just stared at them with her mouth open.

"I hope you can find a way to bring them back!" Hotaru said.

"Perhaps your Silver Crystal can help? Or maybe the antidote is still hidden in the academy somewhere?" Setsuna suggested.

"Those are good suggestions, but I haven't even seen the Inner Senshi yet! I gotta get down to Makoto-chan's cafe straight away! See you, Hotaru-chan and Setsuna-san!" She threw on her coat and shoes and darted back over to Makoto's place, where she was amazed to find her other friends still sitting around. She ran inside in a panic, where Makoto greeted her wearily.

"Thank goodness you're finally here, Usagi-chan! These three are going to be the absolute end of me!" She cried and pointed over to them. Luckily, they all were dressed as they usually would've, but their actions were totally different. Usagi ran over to them.

"All I'm saying is that we should study today! All we do is play, have fun, and mess around! And for what? Messing around will only bring ruin to your career as a doctor, Ami-chan!" Minako snapped at her. Ami simply yawned and leaned back in the booth.

"Studying? Who has time for all that? I hate studying! I want to go see a movie. Right, Usagi-chan? Wanna go see a movie with us?" Ami asked loudly in a rush, beaming up at her. Usagi looked over at Rei to hear her own input on the subject, but she simply shrunk down in the booth and made herself look smaller. Makoto came over to her.

"They've been like this ever since I woke up this morning. I knew I couldn't have them go to work today and act like this, so I called in sick for them all and gathered them here. They seem content enough, they haven't tried to leave or anything..." Makoto explained.

"Usagi-chan! Maybe you can talk some sense into them!" Minako whipped around to face her.

"I don't think I'm the best person for that..." Usagi nervously laughed.

"Come on, let's go watch a movie! We can study later, after the movie!" Ami whined, pulling on Usagi's arm. Rei had sat up in her booth, but she was absent-mindlely braiding her hair. Usagi couldn't really tell what she was like now, but she figured this Rei was more timid and calmer than the real Rei.

"Are the Outers fairing any better than us?" Makoto asked hopefully.

"Setsuna-san and Hotaru-chan are fine, but the other two aren't. I went over there just before coming here, and they're a total mess! You wouldn't even recognize them!" Usagi explained.

"Maybe it was something the villain did then! I bet defeating her is the only way to return them back to normal!" Makoto said.

"And only Haruka-san would be able to defeat her since she was an Aquarius," Minako said, nodding.

"How is everyone supposed to fight while they're like this?" Makoto wondered, and Minako stood up.

"I consider myself to be very capable of fighting, thank you very much!" She protested.

"To be honest, her personality switch is the least annoying." Makoto whispered to Usagi, and they both giggled.

"Go back into that spooky academy? No thank you..." Rei looked away shyly.

"I just wanna watch a movie! Forget all of this Senshi junk!" Ami complained hotly.

"Like it or not, you all are coming, and that's final!" Usagi snapped, which shut everyone up. She looked over at Makoto again. "Call Haruka-san, Michiru-san, and Setsuna-san and tell them to meet us over at the college. We're going to beat Aquarius!"

"I'm on it!" Makoto pulled her green cell phone out of her pocket.

"Also, you might want to tell Michiru-san to take a very long shower before she gets over here." They both cringed at this.

#########

The girls were back in their disguises again, although it was a lot more challenging than it needed to be. Haruka complained about having to wear the boy's uniform, and Michiru managed to spill half a can of soda all over her front in a time span of five minutes. Rei and Ami kept complaining about not wanting to fight evil, and Minako nearly turned on them and used her whip attack to tie them together. Usagi eventually managed to give her own uniform to Haruka and used her pen to disguise herself as a boy to fit the uniform better, and Minako buttoned Michiru's jacket up more to hide the stain better. Setsuna managed to calm Rei and Ami down enough to get them to come along, and soon everyone was ready to face off with Aquarius.

They all ran back into the cafe, where they met her before, and sure enough, there she was, prowling around in her disguise. Upon seeing them, her face brightened.

"My lovely students! You've come back to me again! Don't tell me, are you guys lost again?" She smiled a bit at this. "Scatterbrained students aren't looked on too fondly around here."

"Skip your idle chatter! We know what you've done to our friends, and we know you're behind all the mysterious happenings here!" Makoto demanded, taking a fighting stance.

"Yeah, we know you drugged us yesterday and changed our personalities! Now you're going to pay!" Minako challenged, also taking a fighting pose.

"Don't threaten her, guys! She might attack us!" Rei cried in fear. Aquarius simply covered her mouth in mock horror.

"Oh no, you've figured out my secret!" She flicked her wrist and locked the doors behind them and smiled. "At least it'll be a fair fight, right? I won't even take off my disguise. So, let's fight!" She flicked her wrist again and a giant wave of water flew out at Minako, who flipped herself out of its way and landed safely on her feet several feet away. "Damn, you guys move a lot!" She fired another wave at Ami, who merely ducked it and just barely missed it.

"Put more effort into your moves, guys! Otherwise, she'll easily overpower us!" Minako directed.

"I don't even want to fight! I don't even want to be here!" Ami whined.

"Well, I do! We're going to defeat her anyway, so why not just transform in front of her?" Michiru asked.

"That's so careless!" Minako cried, and Michiru glared at her.

"I see my juice was very effective! You guys cannot agree on anything!" Aquarius jumped into the air and swept her arm in front of her face, releasing a colossal wave that swept up all of the girls and scattered them all across the floor. "And therefore, defeating you all will be a snap!"

"That's what you think..." Makoto slowly pulled herself off the floor and charged at her, nearly managing to grasp her wrists before Aquarius teleported behind her and grabbed Makoto's wrists.

"Hmmmm, now your tables are turned..." She whispered to her, making Makoto's eyes widen in fear. Aquarius promptly threw Makoto down on the floor, making her cry out in pain.

"Makoto-chan!" Rei cried, but she still made no move to help her. Instead, she tried vanishing into her giant ponytail.

"This is hopeless! Our personalities are too scrambled for us to give a damn about this battle!" Minako griped, holding her head.

"I think we could still win this." Setsuna said, making Usagi and Minako look over at her. "Just follow my lead." She promptly walked up to Aquarius and bowed her head. "Aquarius, we accept defeat. You've overpowered us." She said gravely. Minako and Usagi gasped.

"What are you doing?" Michiru demanded.

"She's one of us, so I'm positive she has a plan!" Haruka gushed.

"And how can I be sure you guys aren't lying?" Aquarius asked skeptically.

"Because I'm willing to be killed by you. Only someone who has truly given up would accept that fate." Setsuna continued. She briefly looked over at the girls, who were sneaking over to the counter with Makoto in tow.

"Very good point you make. However, I still feel as if you're tricking me." Aquarius said. She looked Setsuna up and down for signs of a lie, but to her dismay, she couldn't find any obvious ones.

"I can take my own life if you distrust me that much," Setsuna offered.

"Such a tempting offer! You are either incredibly brave, incredibly stupid, or both." Aquarius laughed. "Do it then."

"Hold it right there!" A voice called out.

"Who dares to ruin my moment of triumph?" Aquarius demanded, looking over at the food counter. The six Senshi were currently standing on it, with Eternal Sailor Moon pointing at Aquarius.

"We're the ones who always have a plan, most involving taking you down!" Eternal Sailor Venus taunted with a confident smirk on her face.

"And not even our new personalities will change that!" Super Sailor Neptune announced, ignoring the fact her hair had somehow managed to get tangled between her transformation and appearance.

"I'm still not very sure about this, you guys..." Eternal Sailor Mercury said nervously. Setsuna looked over at them.

"I told you it would work! Now, take her down!" She quickly stepped out of the way, allowing Venus to hit Aquarius with one of her attacks.

"What? How is this? I should've known you guys were Sailor Senshi! After all, nobody is as brave and stupid as you guys!" Aquarius complained.

"Get ready to be beaten by us!" Super Sailor Uranus said, jumping off the counter. "Space Sword Blaster!" She hit Aquarius straight-on with her attack, making her scream loudly. She tightly clutched at her side.

"I don't care how tough you think you are, you have no hopes of beating me!" She flicked her wrist and sent another huge wave out at the Sailors on the counter, but they all super-jumped out of its path. "Damn it! Stay still!" She growled.

"No chance of that!" Venus taunted.

"Fine! Then take this!" Aquarius formed an 'X' with her two first fingers and placed them in front of her mouth and blew on them, causing soap bubbles with razor-sharp edges to come out. Venus formed her sword and quickly popped them all.

"World Shaking!" Uranus called, hitting Aquarius again. She held her chest this time in pain and started to stumble.

"Not fair...I won't let you guys defeat me!" She jumped into the air and started spinning around widely, causing sharp ice shards to fly around everywhere. The girls promptly screamed and tried their best to dodge them. Venus and Uranus simply used their sword to cut the ice shards up, but Eternal Sailor Moon ended up getting pinned to the wall by her wings.

"Sailor Moon!" Setsuna called, running over to her. She started picking the ice shards off one by one. "These are an inconvenience for you..." Sailor Moon only laughed awkwardly.

"You're starting to falter, I can tell! One well-timed attack should finish you off!~" Uranus winked. "Space Sword Blaster!" She sliced at Aquarius' side again, which made her start crying.

"I can't believe this...I hadn't even found a true Star Sign yet! And my partner...what shall she think of me now?" She wept.

"You should've thought about that before you went around messing with the personalities of innocent girls!" Neptune said with a small smile on her face. She promptly returned to chugging a soda she randomly had gotten.

"I don't want to be defeated...by stupid girls like you..." Aquarius quickly vanished in a flash of light, leaving behind a blue water jug. The girls all looked at Uranus to see if she'd get her new transformation, and sure enough, she did. Her outfit resembled everyone else's, except in her own colors.

"Eternal Sailor Uranus! Nice to finally see you on this team!" Venus greeted. Neptune finished her soda and nodded, then burped really loudly again. She simply giggled about it.

"But why isn't anybody's personalities back yet?" Setsuna asked worriedly, but Sailor Moon smiled at her.

"Just wait, I'm sure it takes a day or two!" Shortly after she said that, all of the girls complained of a massive stomachache and crumbled to the ground, seemingly unconscious. They both sighed.

"I suppose now we have to carry them all home, and we also have to check on Makoto-san and see if she's well enough to walk!" Setsuna said.

"I'll call Mamo-chan to help us!" Sailor Moon beamed.

##########

The next morning, all of the Inner Senshi had gathered in Makoto's cafe again to talk about the other day.

"I'm so glad to have my own personality back. I was a nightmare! I just sat in the background and refused to fight!" Rei snapped.

"I found myself to be a bit too authoritative..." Minako admitted. "I can be pushy as Sailor Venus, but never as my normal self!"

"I was horrible too..." Ami had covered her face up with her hands. "I didn't want to study or fight! I just wanted to lay around all day watching movies!"

"Sounds a lot like somebody else we know!" Rei looked over at Usagi, who was preoccupied with shaking a rattle in front of Chibiusa to make her giggle. Makoto ran up to their table again.

"Have you seen the news? Defeating Aquarius worked! All the students have their personalities back, and the school has no more kidnappings or disappearances!" She smiled.

"Another mission done by the Sailor Senshi! This proves we can do anything, even when we're scrambled in the brain!" Minako laughed.

"How many more of these Zodiac-type girls do you think we have left to fight? They seem to be coming in pairs, so surely there can't be that much left?" Rei asked.

"I'd say we've only defeated about five, and there are twelve signs. So, we have seven more to go." Ami reasoned.

"I haven't even met mine yet! I hope that if I defeat her, I'll get a cool upgrade too!" Usagi said, looking up from the stroller. Chibiusa had managed to steal the rattle and was currently sucking on it.

"It's not as fun as it sounds," Minako said. Ami briefly considered telling the girls what she read about Princess Sailor Moon, but decided against it. Maybe the computer meant to say she'd have to fight Cancer? She couldn't excuse her computer's error so easily, but it made her feel a bit better if Usagi didn't have to sacrifice herself just to gain new powers. She suddenly realized that thinking about her leader's potential doom made her feel nauseous, so she stood up and held her stomach.

"Excuse me, I'm going to be sick!" She announced and ran out of the cafe as fast as she could. She fell to her knees, but nothing came up despite her gagging, so she figured she would be okay. She decided she would go on to her place and work on some more paperwork involving her career, and hopefully it would take her mind off such things. She quickly stood back up and hurried home.

#############

"Your partner is dead now, and you're alright with it?" Mistress snarled, snapping her nails together and shocking Pisces with green lightening. "You two were the most sucessful team I've had! You cannot just be accepting of this!"

"To be fair...Mistress..." Pisces started. "I did get a true Star Sign, and she did not. So, who is the more useful one?" Mistress simply held her head.

"I'm running out of you guys. I only have seven left. You know who has the true Star Sign. She is the guardian of this solar system's planet called Neptune. Seek her out, and take her Star Sign, and do not fail me!"

"Yes, my Mistress." Pisces promised, then vanished.

###########

Hotaru woke up with a start, clutching at her blankets. She didn't even remember screaming, but she must've, since a few minutes later her three guardians ran in and knelt by her bedside.

"Little princess, what's wrong?" Setsuna asked quietly.

"You must've had a bad dream. Do you want to tell us about it?" Michiru asked softly, although it wasn't a request.

"I don't remember it very well, to be honest..." Hotaru confessed. "I remember seeing lightening and a surging tidal wave...and Eternal Sailor Moon getting caught in the middle of the wave. The water tore her wings off her back...and then it spit her out. She wasn't Eternal Sailor Moon anymore though, she was transformed into...somebody else..." She suddenly started shaking. "What does this mean? Please, tell me you guys know!"

"It could signify the end of our world..." Michiru suggested.

"If that was so, don't you think we'd all be having dreams like that?" Setsuna asked.

"Maybe it means Sailor Moon is about to face some sort of challenge? A possibly fatal one, by the sounds of it." Haruka suggested. "Hotaru, what did she look like in your dream after the wave spit her out?"

"Like a princess..." Hotaru answered.

"Princess Serenity?" Michiru asked, but Hotaru shook her head.

"No, she still had her sailor dress, but it changed to look more like a princess. She had a crown on her head too."

"So maybe after this challenge, a new form?" Setsuna asked.

"Who can tell? All we can do is wait." Michiru said, and then she kissed Hotaru's forehead. "Go back to sleep, little princess. Hopefully my kiss will send good dreams your way." Hotaru nodded and fell back onto her pillow. The three women quietly shut her door and stood out in the hallway.

"All we do is wait nowadays!" Haruka snapped. "What about some answers? Is Sailor Moon going to die? Sacrifice herself?"

"There's no way to know until the time comes," Setsuna said, then went back up into her own room. Michiru looked over at Haruka and grabbed her hand.

"I know how you feel..." She whispered.

"Whatever it is, I hope it's something we can deal with. Losing someone like her would be too big of a loss to deal with." Haruka stated. Michiru pulled her face closer to her own.

"Why don't we go back to bed too? We've done all we can about it for tonight." She let go of Haruka's head and went back inside their bedroom, and Haruka simply followed her.


	10. Episode 10: Usagi's New Transformation?

Ami woke up to the sound of her home phone ringing and a very strong chill swirling around her body. She rubbed her eyes and rushed over to her phone, amazed she didn't trip in her groggy state. She picked it up.

"Hello? This is Dr. Mizuno speaking." She answered professionally.

"Dr. Mizuno? I'm sorry, I thought I contacted your daughter." The feminine voice on the other line worried.

"No, don't worry, this is her daughter, Ami!" She reassured her. "What did you need me for?"

"Mizuno-san, you shouldn't refer to yourself as a doctor so soon. You still only do volunteer work, and you've only managed to finish two and a half years of medical school! You're a very talented young woman, but I think you're thinking too far ahead into the future..." The woman sighed.

"I have every right to call myself a doctor!" Ami snapped suddenly. "Anyway, hopefully this was not the topic you wished to discuss with me, so tell me your real reason of calling me."

"Ah, yes. Speaking of your volunteer work, do you think you might be willing to come back to St. Petersburg at some point this month? You hadn't finished your required amount of volunteer hours, and to be quite honest, all the children miss you!" She laughed. "Surely you remember my name too?"

"Of course I do, you're Anya Braginskya, a trained nurse there. The fact you can speak Japanese so well astonished me!" Ami smiled.

"And I was quite impressed with your Russian! Most Japanese helpers around here can only speak simple phrases, but not you! You jumped right on as if you've been speaking it all your life!" Anya giggled.

"Anyway, I admire your thoughts, but I don't think that schedule is looking very good for me right now..." Ami explained.

"Really? How about next month? We're usually filled in January since it's right after the holiday season, but I'm sure we could still fit you in somewhere!" Anya offered. Ami tightly gripped the phone cord and was surprised the connection didn't cut off as a result.

"That's not very good either...to be honest, I'm not quite sure when I'll be free again!" She confessed.

"But your hours-!"

"I can't fulfill them right now, I'm sorry! Please understand that I would really love to go back there at some point, hopefully soon, but these upcoming months don't look very good for me right now. Again, I'm very sorry," She quickly hung the phone back up before she heard Anya's response, and she thought that was good. Out of all of her friends, she figured Usagi would be affected the most by having to fight again, but for some reason, she never imagined it happening to her so quickly. She shivered again and looked around for the cause of her coldness, eventually finding an open window in her living room. She shut it loudly and went back over to her desk. She picked up her blue star-shaped brooch and stared at it, wondering how hard one would have to try to break it in half. She set it back down and went back to work on her paperwork, occasionally glancing over at the brooch every now and again. She started to wonder if any of her own friends were regretting following their Senshi destinies and much preferred to follow their personal careers.

She sighed and laid her head down on her desk again, and within moments, found herself drifting off to sleep again.

###########

The apartment had gotten colder in the morning than it had the previous night, so Usagi took too long of a hot shower and instantly regretted that no hot water would be left for her husband or her daughter. She dressed herself in a pink striped tutrtleneck, and an ankle-long dark pink denim skirt with thick suspenders holding it up. The ones on her back formed an 'X'. She pulled on thick white tights under the skirt and dark pink snow boots. She tied two dark pink bows in front of her dumplings and peeked into Chibiusa's crib to see if she was awake yet. She wasn't, so Usagi put on some light pink lipstick while she waited.

Mamoru came into their bedroom while she was puckering her lips to check her lipstick, and he gently pulled her head back and kissed her forehead. She blushed and grinned at him.

"Mamo-chan! I didn't even knew you were awake!" She hugged him tightly, and he hugged her back.

"I didn't know you were getting so dressed up. A party somewhere?" He asked out of curiosity.

"No, I just felt like putting on some lipstick. I'm nineteen now, it's time I start looking more like it!" She went into the kitchen and he followed her.

"Christmas is in only a week, and we haven't even started to decorate our house yet!" Mamoru randomly announced, and Usagi gasped.

"You're right! But I don't think your apartment is big enough for a Christmas party..." Usagi said. "We were actually thinking of having it over at the mansion..."

"Then why don't we head over there today with the other girls? I'm sure the Outers would love some extra hands in decorating that massive mansion." Mamoru smiled.

"Yeah! And we'll all pitch in to add our own extra-special touches! It's Usagi's first Christmas, after all, and we must work to make it special! And memorable for her..." Usagi sighed a bit in happiness. They both leaned in to kiss again, but were quickly cut off by the sound of crying coming from their bedroom. "I suppose she wants her breakfast now..." Usagi mumbled awkwardly and ran away. Mamoru looked after her.

"You have such a beautiful shining soul, Usako...be careful that nobody tries to steal that away from you." He commented.

##############

"It's Chibiusa-chan's first Christmas?!" All of the Inner Senshi gushed. Usagi simply nodded.

"Oh, how wonderful!" Makoto swooned. "We'll have to work our hardest to make sure this Christmas is truly magical for her!"

"And we'll take lots and lots of pictures!" Minako beamed. "And put them all into an album labeled 'Chibiusa's First Christmas: 2000.'"

"Did she mention having an album like that though? We can't change her history too much..." Ami worried.

"You worry too much, Ami-chan! Let us have a little bit of fun with baby!" Rei laughed.

"Not to mention I'm sure the Outers would be glad to have our help preparing for the party. I'm sure a party for eleven people can't be easy to prepare for!" Makoto said.

"Well, why don't we hurry on over there then? I'm sure we're not interrupting anything important!" Usagi jumped out of her booth and grabbed hold of her stroller. She happily pushed it out of the cafe, and all of the girls followed behind her.

###########

"Pisces..." Mistress simply said, leaning back in her throne. A dark blue curtain was drawn around her, although one could still see her white heeled pumps poking out from underneath.

"Yes, my Mistress?" Pisces asked, stepping forward.

"Do you have a plan to capture the Star Sign of Neptune's guardian?" Mistress asked. Her followers leaned forward eagerly to hear Pisces' answer.

"Yes. I cannot tell you what it is right now, but just you wait. I'll get it and bring it back to you." She turned to leave.

"Pisces..."

"Yes?" She turned back around.

"If you find yourself defeated once more like your previous comrades, then know I will not hesitate to replace you. You might be one of my best, but you are no use to me dead." Mistress stated.

"Yes, and then it shall be me who takes your place!" A girl in the shadows giggled. A black scorpion tail suddenly snapped out at Pisces like a whip. "Don't forget it, I'm very eager to take your place..." She cooed.

"You don't have to replace me with anybody, Mistress! I know I can bring back Neptune's Star Sign for you!" Pisces promised.

"Don't fail me." Pisces bowed once more, then vanished in a flash of blue light.

#######

"A Christmas party? Here? I wasn't informed of such a thing." Setsuna said once the Inner Senshi explained why they were there. "But if it's for Small Lady, then I see no reason why we can't make arrangements." She smiled a bit.

"Call her Usagi! Everyone's calling her by names that aren't her own!" Usagi griped. Chibiusa simply giggled in her stroller.

"But Small Lady is technically her name too, right?" Setsuna gently lifted Chibiusa out of her stroller and giggled when the baby started playing with the bow on her jacket.

"So, what do you want us to decorate first?" Minako asked, clearly eager to get to work.

"We've already got the decorations out of the garage, and the other three are currently working on hanging streamers and holly and things like that on the walls. You can help with that. Perhaps you might even bump into them." Setsuna said.

"That doesn't sound too hard at all!" Rei said happily.

"Let's get to work!" Usagi cheered, and all of the Inners ran upstairs to get the decorations they needed. Once they did, they started running up and down the halls noisily, laughing and talking and making a huge ruckus as they worked. In about seven minutes, they got one wall done, and in seven more minutes the whole entire hallway was decorated in bright red ribbon.

"We're great at this!" Minako winked.

"I think we're working too fast. If we slowed down a bit the ribbons wouldn't look so sloppy..." Ami said, looking around.

"She has a point. Even though it'll just be us at this party, we still want everything to look good. Plus, the older girls might ridicule us if we're sloppy!" Makoto said.

"What's this about sloppy ribbons?" Michiru asked nicely, coming out from a room behind them.

"Michiru-san!" Usagi said. Michiru giggled and waved.

"Hello! I didn't even hear you guys come up here! I see your decorations are looking very good!"

"Really? Ami-chan said they're sloppy!" Rei said.

"If they are, I barely noticed." Michiru said.

"Since you're here, does that mean you'll come help us in here?" Usagi asked eagerly.

"I think you guys did a pretty good job without me though!" A red bow was placed on the top of her hair, and she was wearing a long red ball gown that tightly hugged her. "Maybe I could find another room for you guys to work in though."

"Do you think we could wear gorgeous gowns like yours?" Minako asked with hearts in her eyes.

"Why? I think what you girls are wearing look even more gorgeous than this old thing." Michiru teased. "Come on, the dining room downstairs needs some holly on the walls and around centerpiece. Don't worry about candles or anything like that, we'll deal with those on the night of the actual party." Michiru motioned for the girls to follow her, and they did until they got to the dining room. "Alright, let's get to work!" She smiled and threw open a box full of holly and begun hanging it on the walls. Minako and Ami worked on spreading holly around the table's center, while Makoto and Rei helped Michiru hang the holly. Usagi opened up new boxes and gave people what they wanted when they asked for it.

The girls worked diligently, but didn't talk, since they were worn out from their ribbon adventure in the upstairs hallway. Right when they were finishing up, however, there was a distressing scream that came from the living room.

"DON'T TOUCH THE CHILD!" Setsuna screamed, grabbing a nearby shoe and chucking it at the currently-disguised Pisces. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but leave at once! Don't bother this baby ever again!" The girls carefully peeked their heads inside and gasped at what they saw.

"What's with all this fuss? I've been searching for the guardian of Neptune, so just bring her out to me and we'll have no problems!" Pisces smiled. "Don't make me use force, I'm a very impatient girl..."

"And so am I! The guardian of Neptune isn't here, so just leave us alone!" Setsuna yelled, taking a fighting stance.

"You seem awfully protective of this girl for some reason..." Pisces strode over to Chibiusa and stood over her proudly. "How about Neptune's guardian for your baby? Is it a deal?"

"Usagi! No!" Usagi screamed, diving into the living room and grabbing her daughter at the last second. She held her in her arms protectively and glared at Pisces. "Don't you dare touch my daughter..." She warned.

"Usagi-san..." Setsuna said in surprise.

"So I see how it is! I have to use force!" Pisces ripped off her disguise and revealed her aquatic body. "Now I'll ask again, and answer me correctly this time. Where are you hiding the guardian of Neptune?" She asked coldly.

"What makes you think we'll tell you?" Usagi demanded, standing up. Chibiusa had tears in her eyes from the stimulation and looked ready to bawl, so Usagi started rocking her in her arms. Pisces simply grinned and grew sharp shark teeth.

"Resisting would be horrid for you..." She threatened. She made a move to pounce onto Usagi, but got stopped at the last second by a wave of water. "Who's there? Who dares to attack me with my own element?" Pisces demanded, looking around.

"I'm the Senshi of the Seas, the graceful Sailor Neptune, here to charm you!" Super Sailor Neptune stepped out of the shadows with a stern look on her face. "Leave my friends alone, I'm the only one you want."

"Finally! Now, I'll just take what's rightfully mine and be on my way!" Pisces started to snap her fingers, but Neptune shook her head at her.

"I want to duel with you for it. Obviously, it will be a duel to the death." Neptune grinned slyly. Pisces smirked.

"Too easy! It's almost like you want to lose!" She took a fighting stance. "Alright then!" She started twirling around, making water fly out of her. Neptune easily dodged the attack, then attacked back with her Deep Submerge. Pisces formed an 'X' with her two first fingers and blew on them, causing a school of fish to blow out and swim towards Neptune. "They're carnivorous fish." Pisces laughed.

"You underestimate me like crazy!" Neptune smiled and started kicking the fish away with her heels while balancing on only one hand.

"Whoa, look at her balance!" Makoto said in amazement. Neptune jumped back onto her feet with ease and glared at Pisces.

"Is that all you're going to give me?" She pulled out her mirror.

"Aqua Depth!" Pisces cried, waving her hand in front of herself and surrounding herself with a large blue bubble.

"Submarine Reflection!" Neptune called, but due to the bubble, the attack bounced off harmlessly and hit her instead, knocking her down and making her scream.

"Was that all you're going to give me?" Pisces mocked. She made her bubble vanish. "I think you look pretty beaten, so I'll just take your Star Sign and be on my way."

"I'm not done with you yet..." Neptune struggled to get up. Usagi quickly placed her daughter in a nearby bedroom and hurried back to see if Neptune was okay. "Deep Submerge!" She fired her attack at Pisces, which managed to push her back several feet, but it didn't hinder her enough.

"I'll take what's rightfully mine, thank you!" She flicked her wrist in front of Neptune's chest.

"No! You can't!" Usagi cried, and without thinking she jumped in front of Neptune just as Pisces flicked her wrist. She got caught in the beam instead, and cried out in pain as her chest got surrounded by a white light.

"USAGI!" Everyone watching screamed.

"What an insufferable brat you are! You're not who I wanted at all!" Pisces grumbled. Usagi kept screaming, and suddenly stopped when a bright white Cancer sign burst out of her chest. Her eyes glossed over and she fell to her side.

"Usagi-san!" Neptune cried in worry.

"What the hell is this?" Pisces demanded, taking Usagi's Star Sign in her hands. "It's the sign of a Cancer, so it's not mine to take, but its beauty and purity would be worth it alone!" She laughed. "Even if it isn't my department, I think I might just take this one with me instead! It'll give me more attention!"

"Stop!" Makoto called out. "You can't take our friends' Star Sign like that!" She ran out of the kitchen and took a fighting stance.

"And why would you try to stop me? You've already seen what I'm capable of." Pisces smirked.

"I don't care how strong you are, nobody messes with our friends!" Ami said, standing next to Makoto.

"Guys, look at Usagi-chan's Star Sign! It's starting to change!" Minako announced, and everyone looked over at it.

It was already a bright white, but it suddenly started glowing even brighter, causing Pisces to cover her eyes. It glimmered slightly, then slowly formed into a diamond. It continued to glitter, then burned Pisces' hands.

"Ouch! Evil little gem!" She cried.

"That must be the Diamond Crystal!" Ami said in surprise.

"Ami-chan...how do you know what that is?" Minako asked.

"I'll explain later. Come on, someone help me put it back in her!" Ami said, and Makoto ran over to Usagi's side.

"Hello? I'm still here! Don't ignore me!" Pisces stamped her foot. Neptune smiled at her weakly.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten about you." She managed to aim her mirror at Pisces again. "Submarine Reflection!" The attack engulfed Pisces, making her scream.

"No, I was one of the best! How could I be beaten so easily? No!" She cried, then she vanished into bright blue light, leaving behind one of her fins.

"Now that she's gone, lets hurry and put the Diamond Crystal back into Usagi-chan's chest!" Minako commanded, and both Ami and Makoto nodded. They both carefully scooped the glittering crystal into their hands and dropped it onto Usagi's chest, and it slowly sealed itself back in. Her eyes didn't return back to normal, but the color returned to her skin.

"What's going to happen to her?" Rei asked with a worried voice. Neptune stood up to help her up, but was suddenly surrounded by a bright green flash of light. When it vanished, she found herself in her Eternal form.

"Eternal Sailor Neptune!" Setsuna said in surprise. Neptune winked at her.

Usagi suddenly got lifted into the air and surrounded by a white glow and suddenly transformed involuntarily into Eternal Sailor Moon. As the girls watched, her clothes slowly started to change. Her skirt changed back to blue and got lined with lace, and her bow turned into a giant white lacy one. Her wings slowly folded in front of her skirt until they vanished, leaving her wingless and in a skirt that fell to her ankles. The belt around her waist was lined with pearls, and her choker turned into a white pearl necklace with a diamond hanging off of it. Her gloves turned pure white with lacy cuffs, and her sleeves turned very puffy and lacy and changed back into white. Her dumpling-covers became lined with pearls, and her tiara became lined with pearls as well. A jeweled crown was placed on top of her head, and her wedding and engagement rings were placed on the outside of her left glove to make them more noticeable. Finally, her front bow turned a soft lilac color and resembled silk. Her brooch turned into a white heart, and inside of it was the Diamond Crystal. Her eyes returned to normal, and all of her friends stared at her.

"Eternal Sailor Moon..." Ami tried.

"No, this is her final form! She's now Princess Sailor Moon!" Setsuna said.

"Everyone, I'm finally stronger now! I can't wait to try out my new powers!" Princess Sailor Moon gushed as she was finally lowered to the ground.

"Where's your wand?" Minako asked, but after she asked that, Sailor Moon's Eternal Tier appeared. It suddenly spun around wildly and only stopped when it had changed into a scepter. A small silver crescent moon adorned the top of the glittering white staff. Sailor Moon grabbed it and held it close to her, feeling its power embrace her. She felt tears form in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Rei asked.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong!" Princess Sailor Moon wiped her tears away. "I'm just so glad I have a new transformation too! And now I don't have those bothersome wings anymore!"

"Oh, Princess Sailor Moon!" All of the girls gushed and tightly hugged her.

########

"Pisces is gone, which means now I have to rely on you." Mistress demanded, scanning the crowd. She didn't have to look for very long, however, because soon a new girl stepped forward. She had piercing red eyes, floor-long ebony hair, and dark tan skin. Her clothes were a parody of Senshi uniforms, being made from black leather and barely covering anything. On her back was a black scorpion tail, complete with a stinger.

"I'm assuming my mission is the same as theirs?" The girl asked in a deep voice.

"Yes. You don't know who has your sign, so look around. It can't be that hard." Mistress frowned. "And that burst of energy I felt...it concerns me deeply..."

"Do you want me to extract the Diamond Crystal too?" The girl asked with a sly tone in her voice.

"No, just the Star Signs. One thing at a time."

"I understand, Mistress."

"Why are you still here? Get going!" She demanded, and the girl bowed and vanished in a flash of black light.

#######

"Oh my gosh, we should totally have a slumber party!" Minako gushed after dinner and decorating. The Outers looked up at her in surprise.

"I don't see why not," Michiru smiled. "After all, we have this giant room we never use for anything and is kept fairly empty. We could all make pallets and cots and sleep in there!"

"We'd have to get our clothes and personal care items though." Ami said.

"And I want to call Mamo-chan! I'm sure he'll have some fun too!" Usagi swooned.

"You guys can go get that stuff and we'll set up the bedroom!" Hotaru said, jumping from her seat. Everyone ran off to do what they needed to do.

Eventually the room was all set up and all of the girls had gotten what they needed. They all dressed in front of each other, giggling and swooning over each others' pajamas, and afterwards they all buried themselves in their pallets.

"This room is really spooky-looking..." Rei noticed.

"We should turn the lights off!" Hotaru suggested, and then she did so.

"It's not like we need to see anything to talk in the dark anyway." Ami said.

"What should we talk about?" Makoto asked.

Meanwhile Usagi and Mamoru were busying playing with Chibiusa by standing her up and supporting her by holding onto her hands. Chibiusa enjoyed the interaction and giggled about it.

"Maybe about the fact that Usagi-chan finally unlocked her final stage of power?" Minako suggested. She looked over in her general direction.

"Final stage? I thought Eternal Sailor Moon was her last one." Rei said, even though she'd seen it happen.

"Maybe since we have Eternal powers now, she needs to upgrade? Eternal is the strongest level we can get to, and if she's too weak to defeat anything, then it wouldn't be good." Hotaru said.

"I wonder how much longer we have to fight. I miss living a normal life." Makoto said, and everyone else quickly agreed. The pizza arrived shortly after that, and all the girls had a laugh out of trying to eat in the darkness. Usagi sneaked a few pieces of cheese to Chibiusa when she figured Mamoru wasn't looking. Her daughter didn't screw up her face at the taste, but she didn't demand anymore, so Usagi figured she didn't like them very much. Setsuna and Haruka dragged Hotaru's old crib from the attic and Usagi quickly placed Chibiusa inside it. The girl seemed too excited about sleeping in something that belonged to one of her friends and looked around at the worn purple silk inside instead of actually sleeping.

"Why do you guys have this? I thought Hotaru-chan didn't remain a baby for very long." Minako asked.

"Well at the time, there was no way to determine that." Michiru said.

The girls finished up the rest of their pizza and talked about nonchalant things such as how their careers were going, despite the fact they already knew what everyone else would say. The pizza was polished off too quickly, and so were their sodas and cookies. They all eventually laid down in their pallets and waited for sleep to take them, ignoring the sickness in their stomachs that stemmed from both junk food and the future's uncertainty.


	11. Episode 11: A Merry Christmas to All!

_Author's Note: I have several headcanons which will now take effect in the story...the first one is that the planet's position determines how early or late the girl wakes up in the morning. The planets closest to the sun wake up super early, and the furthest wake up the latest. If the Outer Senshi have nothing planned on a day, all they wanna do is sleep..._

The next morning the Inner Senshi cracked down on decorating the massive Christmas tree that would become the centerpiece of the living room. They first started on the fluffy pink garland, which was made difficult because Minako randomly left in the middle of it without saying where she was going. Next the girls started adding the actual balls and ornaments to the tree. Minako came back in knee-high black boots, red roses clipping her hair back, and a knee-long Santa dress.

"What's with those clothes, Minako-chan?" Ami asked.

"I'm just getting into the spirit of the holiday! You guys should get into it too! I bought warm dresses for everybody!" She ran off and came back with a giant bag. "Try them on!" She pulled out several bundles and threw them to the girls, who all caught them.

"Wow, they look really pretty, Minako-chan." Rei commented nicely, unfolding her outfit.

"Why are they all color-coded though?" Makoto asked.

"Mine isn't!" Usagi grinned.

"Let's hurry and put them on!" Ami suggested, and they all ran off to change in different bathrooms.

Makoto came out first and continued to work on the tree. She was wearing laced-up red heeled boots that came up to her ankles, a knee-long baggy green sweater with a giant turtleneck, and had her hair tied back with a fluffy green scrunchie. Ami came out next in a floor-long aqua blue dress that swished lightly and a matching light blue blouse with giant white buttons on it. Rei's outfit was a simple red sweater with matching strappy heels and yellow tights. A red bow was tied back in her hair. Finally Usagi came out and posed.

"I think your outfit is the best, Usagi-chan!" Makoto smiled. Usagi's was a dark blue blouse with a matching bow tied around the white collar, white shorts, blue stockings, and blue boots that looked like Makoto's. She held up Chibiusa and revealed her dressed in a lacy yellow gown with a orange ribbon tied around her waist. Lacy white socks were on her feet and an orange bow was tied in her hair. She giggled and reached out for the tree.

"This tree is going to look amazing when we're done!" Ami gushed.

"I wonder where the Outers are? Why aren't they helping us?" Rei asked.

"Maybe they're all late sleepers?" Minako offered.

"How irresponsble of them! Now we all have something to tease them about!" Makoto laughed.

"You're always looking for some way to start trouble with them, aren't you?" Usagi glared at her.

"How bad-natured!" Minako added.

"Oh, I made this for you, Usagi!" Rei announced, holding out an ornament. It was a small one hanging by a silky pink ribbon and was clearly made from clay. It was a white bunny with bright blue eyes made from beads, and on the rabbit were the words: 'Baby's First Christmas 2000'. "Well, it's technically for Chibiusa-chan, but she's too young to fully notice it, so I'll just say it's for you! Where do you want me to hang it?"

"Anywhere where it'll get the best light!" Usagi beamed. Chibiusa noticed the rabbit and tried to grab it, but Rei held it out of her reach.

"Alright! Then probably somewhere near the top!" She stood on her tippytoes and hung the ornament from one of the tallest branches. The girls kept up their work on the tree, and between the five of them it only took about two and a half hours until it was finally done. Afterwards, they all fell onto the couch.

"Wow, that was harder than I thought it would be!" Makoto said.

"And there's no breakfast for us! What the heck?" Minako asked jokingly.

"Are those four still sleeping?" Rei asked in annoyance. "Geesh, someone should go and wake them up!"

"Just let them sleep, Rei-chan. They must be really scary when they're awoken!" Ami cautioned.

"Well, I'm hungry, so I'll go do it. How bad could they possibly be?" Minako laughed.

"Very scary, if their fighting styles are any indication..." Makoto said. Minako ran upstairs and threw open the door to the empty room they spent the night in.

"Wakey-wakey, we want eggs and bacy!" Minako laughed. The four remained asleep, so she tried shaking each one awake personally. This didn't work either, so she finally took to just threatening them awake. "If you four don't wake up right now, then the end of the world will come upon us! And you guys don't want that, do you?" She cried in desperation. "Oh no, I'm the only Inner Senshi alive! Soon, the enemies will come after me, and then Sailor Moon! You four are our only salvation! Oh no, the enemy's firing at me! I'll be dead soon!" She promptly crumbled to the floor loudly but jumped back up. "I'm dying! My Star Sign is gone! And so is my pure heart and Star Seed! Help me, help me now!" She acted out dramatically. She was about to launch into another lamination when she was suddenly hit really hard in the back of her head with a pillow.

"Shut up and let us sleep!" Michiru snapped at her.

"We rise late, can't you respect that?" Haruka snapped as well.

"Is it noon yet? Please tell me it is..." Hotaru asked in a groggy tone.

"If it's even later that would be best," Setsuna complained. Minako turned to face them and found them glaring at her in extreme anger.

"We are the planets furthest from the sun, and therefore, we rise late!" Haruka explained. "We're cranky if we wake up early!"

"Setsuna-mama wakes up the latest!" Hotaru said happily. Setsuna had managed to bury her entire face into her pillow.

"Can you please go away and let us sleep?" Michiru demanded, looking ready to throw another pillow.

"Hey, hey now, no need to get violent!" Minako held her hands up in surrender. "I just wanted to know if you'd guys make breakfast for us! We're all really hungry..."

"NO! MAKE IT YOURSELF!" The four demanded, all hurling their pillows at Minako. She screamed and ran down the stairs really quickly. She didn't stop until she reached the other girls.

"Minako-chan, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Ami asked in surprise.

"I might as well have! Those four are scary when you wake them up!" Minako recounted.

"I warned you!" Ami shrugged.

"They say since their planets are really far from the sun, they rise later..."

"That would make sense. That means we rise early!" Rei smiled.

"Well, I'm not happy unless I wake up at nine AM every morning..." Makoto said.

"I'm happy at seven!" Rei added.

"For me, six." Minako said.

"And five for me!" Ami finished.

"Wow, our planets really do represent how early we wake up..." Makoto observed.

"Well, anyway, they told us to make our own breakfast, so let's get to it!" Minako cheered.

"Alright..." The others said with less enthusiasm.

###########

Soon breakfast was made and eaten, and Makoto even made some for the Outers and left it out at their spots. The girls didn't have anything else to do, so they just sat around gushing about boys. They went on like that for a surprisingly long time, and it was there that the Outers quite literally snuck up on them.

"What's with all this boy talk? Where's all the talk about girls?" Michiru winked.

"Wow, you four are finally awake!" Minako stated. "And dressed and everything!"

"We rule the later hours, so it only makes sense that we'd look good!" Haruka winked as well.

"Wanna go shopping with us? The Christmas is already done, and most stores won't be open since it's Christmas Eve, but it could relax us and it'll be fun!" Setsuna offered, and the younger five girls quickly jumped at the chance.

"We're already dressed for the occasion, so why not?" Makoto shrugged.

"Did you guys eat breakfast already?" Ami asked, and the four nodded. "Then let's go!"

#########

The mall barely had any people in it, and most of the shops ended up closed, so the girls basically had free reign of the entire place.

"How cool! They haven't closed my favorite shop yet!" Minako gushed. "Come on, Ami-chan, let's go shopping in it!" She pulled on Ami's arm and led her away from the group.

"Let's go to the music store!" Michiru suggested, and pulled Haruka away before she could say anything.

"I wanna go look at that new shoe store they just installed!" Rei suggested, and both Setsuna and Makoto agreed with her. Then it was just Usagi, Chibiusa, and Hotaru alone.

"Where do you want to go shopping at, Usagi-san?" Hotaru asked happily.

"How about that jewelry store? I do love jewelry!" Usagi smiled. Chibiusa simply giggled from her stroller.

"Then let's do it!" Hotaru eagerly led the way into the store. There were several other customers there, and most seemed to be trying to buy last-minute Christmas presents. Hotaru quickly ran over to the display case.

"Ooooh, look at that huge engagement ring! The diamond in it sparkles in seven different colors, just like the rainbow!" Hotaru said in excitement. Usagi leaned over to look at it too.

"It's so pretty! Whoever gets that will be a very lucky girl!" Usagi added with a smile on her face. Several of the customers looked over at the girls disparagingly.

"This is no place for children!" One woman scoffed.

"I hardly would consider us children!" Usagi glared at her.

"I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about your slime-ball." The woman pointed over to the stroller. "Children are such terrible menaces!"

"Hey! Don't you dare talk about Chibiusa-chan in that way!" Hotaru demanded angrily.

Meanwhile, a dark-skinned woman in a black business dress had heard the commotion and decided to hang around the entrance of the store to see what would happen.

"And don't think you can speak to me in that way, either!" The woman took a fighting stance, and so did Hotaru.

"Wait! You two don't need to fight over anything! I'll just take my daughter and be gone!" Usagi suggested calmly. She quickly took hold on her stroller and wheeled it out of there, leaving Chibiusa looking very confused. Hotaru left as well, still looking sour.

"The nerve of some people!" Hotaru continued.

"Is it a common trait among you four to have a temper?" Usagi asked nervously, but Hotaru shook her head.

"I think it's more our passion than our temper that gets us going?" Hotaru suggested, laughing. "I'm sorry for acting that way though." She smiled down at Chibiusa. "Maybe we should stick to some other stores with the other girls in them, that way nobody will bother us!"

"I'm sure the store-owners would have more to complain about then..." Usagi laughed awkwardly.

"Hmmm, like that time Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama were denied service at this one clothing store? The shop-keeper went on and on about how she wouldn't sell clothes to them...Setsuna-mama and I were there too, and those three knew what was going on, but they never explained it to me."

"I don't think that needed an explanation..."

As they were talking, the dark-skinned woman came up to them. "Pardon me for bothering you two, but might you know anybody who's a Scorpio? I'm doing an article on them for a magazine, see..." Her sunglasses glimmered, and the two girls looked at each other nervously.

"Oh, why yes we do!" Hotaru smiled pleasantly. "There's one in that shoe store over there. She's the one in the red sweater, and answers to Hino Rei!"

"Thank you!" The woman nodded, and went off. Usagi looked at Hotaru in surprise, who looked quite pleased with herself.

"Why'd you lie to her like that? Now Rei's in trouble!" She whispered.

"Relax, Rei-san will deal with it. Makoto-san and Setsuna-mama are there too, so those three will be able to deal with her!" Hotaru smiled.

"Still, we should watch them!" Usagi let go of her stroller and ran after the woman, leaving Hotaru and Chibiusa alone. Hotaru kneeled in front of the stroller and started playing a game with her.

"Too bad you're too young to learn any card games, because you used to be so good at them!" Hotaru giggled.

Meanwhile, the woman had managed to corner the three women in the store. "I'm afraid you three aren't going anywhere until I get some answers." She purred. "I was told one of you was a Scorpio, but it appears I was lied to! So, which one of you is truly a Scorpio?"

"None of us! So just leave us alone!" Makoto demanded.

"You're lying again.~" Scorpio suddenly ripped off her clothes, revealing her true form. "How about I just take all three of your Star Signs to make it easier for me?"

A security guard showed up. "I don't know who you are, but I'm going to ask you to stop harassing these three young women!" He demanded. Scorpio grinned.

"Oh, you must be the Scorpio I was sent to fetch! How easy for me then! And so cute, too!~" She flicked her wrist at him, making him scream and a dull white Scorpio sign come out of his chest. She pouted. "Oh, no! A dud! How boring and so totally not cute!"

"Leave him alone!" Rei demanded, throwing a full shoe-box at Scorpio. She glared at her.

"It won't matter once my monster shows up. So, byebye!~" Scorpio mocked and vanished in a black light. Meanwhile, the guard had turned into a security guard-themed monster, with a scorpion tail.

"Guarder! You guys are infiltrating private property!" The monster promptly pulled out a whistle and blew it at the three, causing pieces of yellow police tape to come out. They ended up sticking Makoto to the wall.

"Oh no, I'm stuck!" She cried, struggling against the restraints.

"And there's nowhere to transform..." Rei said, looking around.

"Unless you're us!" A voice called. Everyone turned to look at it, and out of the shadows stepped Super Sailor Saturn and Princess Sailor Moon.

"A monster with a poison tail? They've really gone too far this time!" Saturn taunted.

"They really have! I'm the guardian of love and justice, the pretty Sailor Soldier, Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!" Princess Sailor Moon did her usual pose.

"Sailor Moon!" Makoto said happily.

"Yeah! Show this monster a thing or two!" Rei cheered.

"And hurry!" Setsuna said worriedly. Saturn started untying Makoto's restraints.

"I have a tiara now, so I can do this! Moon Tiara Action!" Princess Sailor Moon took off her tiara and hurled it at the monster, making him scream in pain.

"Now, Sailor Moon!" Saturn commanded, and she nodded.

"Right!" She pulled out her new wand. "Moon Crystal Heart Embrace!" She announced, and the wand showered the monster in a bright blue light.

"Charming!" He called out, then turned back to normal. His Star Sign went back into his chest and he passed out. The tape around Makoto vanished as well.

"We'd love to stay and chat, but I have a baby to watch!" They both laughed nervously and detransformed. They promptly ran out of the store.

"I guess it's my turn to level up," Setsuna said. The other two only nodded.

"Well, let's not let the appearance of a new villain get us down! It's Christmas Eve, so we should be happy!" Makoto suggested.

"Yeah! Let's go back home and finish wrapping presents for Hotaru-chan and Chibiusa-chan!" Rei said. Setsuna looked at them for a while, then finally nodded.

"You're right. We shouldn't let the young ones get down on Christmas..."

"Then let's go!" Makoto and Rei raced out of the store, and Setsuna slowly followed them.

###########

Everyone ate dinner super quickly and fell asleep even quicker. The Outers didn't want the younger ones at their house this time around, so the girls reluctantly packed their stuff up and went home to sleep. They found themselves unable to fall asleep until the later hours of the night, as usually happened with them. The next morning, they quickly did last-minute preparations on their house for the party and invited all the girls over. They told them to wear white and black, and the girls listened to them.

"Wow, you guys really went all out on the house! You can barely tell it's the same place!" Rei gushed in amazement. She was wearing a white frilly camisole with black formal pants and white flats. She painted her nails red and had ruby earrings in her ears.

"I know, the candlelight is so romantic!" Minako said in equal amazement. She used her compact to cut her hair super short and stuck a small red bow in it. It wasn't permanent, and the girls couldn't see it very well in the limited light, but she knew the minute they did see it, they would freak. She had silver heart earrings and a white tank top with a flouncy black cardigan over it. She had an ankle-long black skirt and black flats on. Her nails were also painted red.

"Did you guys cook dinner too?" Makoto asked. Her hair was down and curled very extensively. A black choker with a big white rose on the side was around her neck, and her right arm was adorned with several gold bracelets. She had on a sleeveless white dress that went to her knees, black tights, and silver heels. Her nails were painted a light pink.

"We did everything! We wanted to make this party special for everyone, not just Chibiusa-chan." Michiru smiled. She was wearing a black evening gown with a black shawl around her shoulders. She had tied her hair back with a black lacy ribbon, and somehow her own nails remained unpainted. "Come on, let's go unwrap the presents!" She led the younger girls into the living room, where the Christmas tree they decorated the other day stood with candles on it. A mountain of presents were placed very neatly at the bottom, and the girls found it amazing that only two girls could receive so many presents.

"We're still waiting for Hotaru to come out of the bathroom though." Setsuna said, walking into the living room. Her hair was braided and she had a low-cut black evening gown on that was lacy around the sleeves. Her nails were also unpainted.

"I feel like that's too much information..." Minako said.

"Is there anything we can help with?" Makoto asked nicely, but both Setsuna and Michiru shook their heads.

"I think everything is fine here," Setsuna said.

"Well, we're still missing Ami-chan, Usagi, Mamoru-san, and Chibiusa-chan." Rei counted. "And you guys are missing both Haruka-san and Hotaru-chan. Are you sure there's no work to be done?" She smiled a bit.

"Well, I suppose-" Setsuna started to say, only to be cut off by the sound of someone screaming from the bathroom.

"Hotaru!" Michiru cried in alarm, and both her and Setsuna ran over to where the scream came from. They threw open the bathroom door.

"Hotaru, are you okay?" Setsuna demanded. Hotaru's dress was thrown to the floor, and she was sitting on top of the closed toilet lid in her underwear and tights. She shook her head.

"What's wrong, little princess?" Michiru asked, a bit softer. She picked Hotaru's dress up off the floor.

"I started my cycles..." Hotaru explained shyly. "I know I shouldn't be so nervous about it, considering this is the second time I've been a teenager, but I guess I just forgot about them..."

"Your body is aging at a normal pace now, so it would make sense for you to have started." Setsuna said.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine! You've dealt with them before!" Michiru opened the sink and threw something at her. "Do the stains show through your clothes?"

"No, I'm wearing black." Hotaru shook her head again. "Thank you for the tampons, but I think they're too big..."

"I'm sure they'll be fine..." Michiru blushed a bit, then handed her her dress. "If you need anything else, just let one of us know, okay? After all, we're really experienced with these things!" Michiru and Setsuna quickly left the bathroom and shut the door. They made their way back into the living room, finding Haruka and the Inners talking to the recently-arrived Ami.

"What was wrong with Hotaru-chan?" Rei asked nicely.

"She saw a bug, no big deal." Setsuna quickly covered up.

"Now we just have to wait for Mamoru-san and Usagi-chan to show up, and then we can start!" Ami smiled. Out of all of them, her outfit was probably the fanciest-looking. Her hair was perfectly curled to a point, and she had pearl earrings on. Her blouse was lacy and had a high neck with buttons on it, and she had a black shawl around her arms. Her skirt was a black pencil skirt, and black tights and black heels finished off her outfit.

"There's really not much to this party though, just watching the two younger girls unwrap their presents, then we eat dinner and dance." Minako remembered. "Although I have to admit, I'm looking forward to the dancing!"

Hotaru came out of the bathroom, looking a lot better. She had purple studs in her ears and purple eyeliner on, and her dress was a simple black gown with no sleeves that stopped at her knees. A black belt with a bow cinched her waist, and she had matching black stockings and black flats.

"Hotaru! Are you wearing makeup?" Haruka snapped at her, and Hotaru simply grinned.

"Can I open my presents now? Please?" She asked eagerly. She ran over to the tree and picked up one with her name on it.

"Don't you think you should wait for the couple? I'm sure Usagi-chan would love to see what you got too!" Ami suggested.

There was a knock on the door just then, so Makoto got up to answer it. When she did, everyone beamed.

"Usagi-chan! Mamoru-san! Come in! We were just waiting for you!" Makoto greeted with a big smile on her face.

"Thanks! Let's get this party started!" Usagi cheered, pushing her stroller in gently. She took Chibiusa out of it and held her up so the girls could admire her outfit. It was a very simple one, just a white silk dress, but she also had white Mary-Janes on and a giant lacy bow in her hair. The girls gushed over her, and Chibiusa giggled from all the attention.

"Who should open her presents? She's still too young to really understand how to do it." Minako asked.

"I'll do it!" Hotaru offered, making everyone giggle.

"I think her own mother should do it." Usagi smiled. She sat down by the tree with Chibiusa in her lap and pulled out a random present. Usagi's gown was the most elegant-looking, since it was a full-skirted ball gown with puffy sleeves. It was a pure white color, and was so long nobody could see her shoes. Her hair was down with a lacy white bow in it, and she had a moon-shaped locket around her neck. One hand was painted red, and the other green, although the girls couldn't tell if she intentionally did that or not. She opened up the present she picked out and smiled. "Look, it's a set of blocks!" Chibiusa giggled and reached out for them.

Hotaru took that as her cue to open her present, and grinned when she found a dark purple scientific calculator in it. "Wow, I didn't even know they came in this color!"

"They do if you order them specially!" Ami winked.

The two girls continued to unwrap their gifts until there were none left, and it was easy to tell which was their favorite. Hotaru instantly put on the diamond necklace her parents got for her, and Usagi gushed over the pink bonnet Minako bought for Chibiusa. After all the gifts were done, next was dinner, which was barely eaten due to everyone's excitement. Lastly came the dancing, and Ami took it upon herself to turn some music on.

"Come on, let's dance! This will easily be the best part of the evening!" Minako gushed, and she took Setsuna's hand and led her onto the dance-floor. Makoto took Rei, and Usagi dragged Mamoru onto it. Haruka and Michiru danced with each other, and Hotaru managed to talk Ami into dancing with her. After dancing for several rounds, everyone switched their partners almost randomly. Minako got Rei, Makoto got Setsuna, Ami got Michiru, Hotaru got Mamoru, and Usagi got Haruka.

"This is really strange...none of us know how to dance!" Rei said to Minako, who simply laughed.

"That's why you just gotta wing it and have fun!" Minako laughed.

"Hopefully you won't accidentally step on my feet!" Hotaru giggled. Mamoru giggled with her.

"Don't worry, I'm very good with dancing. I'm sure I'll do fine dancing with you, despite your height." He promised her, then he spun her around.

"Aren't you having fun, Ami-san?" Michiru asked politely.

"Yes, but parties make me nervous. Even a close-knit party like this makes me nervous! I'm just not a very social person..." Ami blushed and looked down. Michiru giggled.

"Nonsense! I'm not very social either, and look how much fun I'm having!" She spun Ami away from her body and pulled her back in and danced with her a bit slower.

"It looks like I'm dancing with you again, my kitten! Why does this always seem to happen to us?" Haruka winked. Usagi blushed.

"Sometimes I feel like you wish for it to happen!" She replied hotly, looking away from her.

"Well you couldn't dance very well unless it was with me, now could you?"

"I can dance just fine, thank you very much!"

"Maybe, but can you do this?" She spun Usagi away from her and pulled her in closer until they were embracing. Then she danced with her normally until the music came to a build, then she spun Usagi again. She caught her and dipped her down to the ground, flipping her dress hem up slightly and making her blush more. Everyone else stopped dancing to look at them.

"Glass slippers! She's wearing glass slippers!" Minako noticed.

"You're such a show-off, Haruka!" Michiru scoffed. Haruka let go off Usagi, making her crash onto the floor.

"Ouch! That hurt, you know!" Usagi snapped at her. She promptly got back up and walked over to the couch where Chibiusa was laying. She sat down next to her and sat her in her lap, and Mamoru sat down next to her.

"A picture-perfect couple! I should take a picture of you three too!" Minako beamed, then pulled out her camera. The couple nodded and smiled happily, holding Chibiusa. Minako took the picture with a grin. "You two alone could fill up an album!"

"It's getting late, so we should be going," Ami noticed. The other girls nodded and started getting their stuff ready. Usagi placed Chibiusa back in her stroller and was about to stand up again when Chibiusa grabbed her dress.

"What is it, Usagi?" Usagi asked.

"Mama!" Chibiusa said suddenly with a smile on her face. Everyone gasped and all of the girls dropped when they were holding.

"Usagi..." Usagi breathed in surprise. Mamoru came over to the stroller. "Mamo-chan, she said her first words! Can you believe it?" She gushed happily, then placed a kiss on his lips.

"Chibiusa-chan's first words..." Ami started.

"Are pretty much everybody's first words..." Makoto finished.

"Hey, don't you guys remember? Neo-Queen Serenity ended up being super inspiring to her in her childhood! It makes sense that her first words are 'mama'!" Minako snapped.

"She's not Neo-Queen Serenity yet." Rei shrugged.

"I think it would make more sense if her first words were Sailor Moon..." Hotaru added.

"Don't ruin the magic of this moment!" Usagi yelled. She held Chibiusa's hands. "Can you say it again for me?" She asked sweetly with a smile.

"Mama! Papa!" Chibiusa laughed, reaching out to the grab the both of them. Usagi and Mamoru kissed again. Then they stood up and pushed the stroller out so they could go home.

"Just think, in a few short years she'll truly become a queen..." Ami said.

"And we'll become her ladies-in-waiting!" Minako gushed. "I can hardly wait!"

"Minako-chan...before we leave..." Makoto started. "What the hell did you do to your hair?" She demanded.

"It's not permanent!" Minako laughed nervously. "It's an effect from my compact!"


	12. Episode 12: Scorpio's Next Target!

_Author's Note: My other headcanon is that Haruka, Michiru, and Usagi are all conservative Christians and would go to a Western-style church. I have some evidence backing it up if anyone is legitmentally curious as to where I came up with it...otherwise... *waits for angry mobs* _

After Christmas, the girls' lives returned to being hectic due to the approaching year's end. Minako had to model several new winter fashions, and she had asked Setsuna to make them, so both had their hands full trying to reach deadlines. Makoto had to make several desserts for winter birthdays and year-end parties, which kept her in her bakery cooking until the early hours. Ami had shut herself up in her house, doing paperwork and answering medical questions on both her phone and occasionally on the Internet. Rei had to sell all of her good-luck charms for year-end fortunes and also for luck on final exams. Hotaru herself had final exams to take, so she studied for those. Michiru played at several private establishments, leaving Haruka often with nothing to do since racing season was over. Only after two weeks after Christmas did several of the girls find some free time, and they all spent time away from each other due to convenience.

###########

Usagi was helping Chibiusa sit up with supports when Mamoru came into the living room. "Usako, there's someone at the door for you." He said. Usagi gently laid Chibiusa back down on the floor and stood up.

"Really? I don't remember inviting anyone over. It's also super early for someone to come over." Usagi said in surprise. Still, she made her way over to the front door and opened it, her eyes widening at who it was. "Ah, it's you two! Haruka-san and Michiru-san!"

"Hey there!" Haruka winked at her. The two were dressed in really fancy clothes, so Usagi had an idea of where they were heading. Why they wanted to visit her, though, she still had no clue.

"Hi! What are you two doing here at my house?" Usagi asked.

"We're going to church and wanted to know if you'd like to come with us?" Michiru offered politely. She held her hand out to Usagi. "After all, you're Christian like us, and you don't have anything else to do. Why shut yourself inside on such a beautiful Sunday morning?"

"Alright, but I have to go back to my parents' place to get my Sunday dress. I should warn you, I bought it in seventh grade and it looks really tacky now..." She blushed a bit.

"I'm sure it's beautiful! Go put your coat on, we can give you a ride to your parents' place. Hurry though, our church starts their sessions early!" Haruka said, and Usagi quickly did as she was told.

"Mamo-chan, I'm going to church with Haruka-san and Michiru-san! Watch Usagi while I'm gone!" Usagi called behind her shoulder, and she buttoned up her coat and ran out the door. "Here I am!" She smiled and jumped into the backseat of their car. "You guys still remember where my house is, right?"

"Of course we do! We remember everything!" Michiru reassured her with a smile on her face. The three didn't say anything for the rest of the ride, and after a while, they finally found themselves at Usagi's old house. She got out of the car.

"Don't take too long, otherwise we might leave without you!" Haruka winked.

"Don't joke!" Usagi glared at her, then hurried up to the front door and knocked on it. "Hello? Momma, are you home?" She called out. Her mom soon answered the door.

"Usagi! I wasn't expecting to see you here so early in the morning! Surely you haven't come just for a visit?" She asked, and Usagi shook her head.

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm actually here to grab an old dress of mine. I know where it is and everything, so I can just grab it and go." Usagi explained, and her mom let her in.

"While you're here, you should see to that old cat of yours. While I love her, I would love it if you could take her off my hands. After all, she's your cat!"

"Sorry Momma, but there's no space in the apartment for both a cat and a baby!" Usagi blurted out, then ran upstairs to the attic. She smiled a bit over the fact that this used to be Chibiusa's room when she was staying with them, and at some point Usagi was going to send her back again, resulting in this becoming her room again. It was a very confusing thing to think about. She went over to a rack that was filled with delicate but old clothes and searched through them until she found her old church dress. She threw off her other clothes and started to get dressed right there when she heard the pittering of soft footsteps coming over to her. She pulled the dress over her head and looked over at the sound, and her eyes lit up.

"Luna! How are you? I've missed you!" She smiled, picking Luna up. "Wow, you've gotten heavy!"

"What are you even doing here? You hate visiting." Luna asked.

"I do not hate visiting my parents! If you must know, I'm going to church with Haruka-san and Michiru-san, and I needed to wear my old Sunday dress!" She snapped at her.

"Those two go to church?" Luna asked. Usagi nodded and set her down.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to hurry and get dressed! Otherwise, those two will leave without me!" She explained in a rush. She ran around the attic in a flurry and didn't stop rushing until she found all the pieces of her outfit. Luna stared at her finished project.

"Wow, where were you hiding that all these years? You look so pretty!" Luna complimented. It was true, Usagi did look very pretty in the dress. It was a pure white lolita gown that went down to her knees with short lacy sleeves, a ruffled hem, and a lacy collar that went to her neck. She had matching lacy kid gloves, white lacy thigh-highs with bows on them, and white Mary-Janes. She had tied white bows in front of her dumplings, and she had a matching white parasol with a pink ribbon tied around the center. "To be honest, you look like a little doll! You should put some make-up on!"

"I'll do that in the car, I gotta go!" Usagi ran down the stairs and muttered a quick good-bye to her family. She got back into the car and started to do her makeup.

"Wow, you look just like a doll, Usagi-san!" Michiru swooned. "You can be so pretty when you take the time to do so!"

Usagi smiled and continued to do her makeup.

"Not too much, our church is really strict about those things!" Haruka cautioned. Usagi nodded and put the rest of her products into her bag. She already had put on a fine layer of light pink lipstick and a little bit of blush. "I think the amount you have right now is fine."

"Speaking of which, we're almost there!" Michiru smiled.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to go to your guys' church? After all, I'm not a member of it." Usagi asked.

"It'll be fine, they'll love you! They're always asking for guests to come because they love meeting new people. Plus they'll be glad we finally brought a guest!" Michiru explained.

"We would've invited one of you girls sooner, but none of you share our religion. You're the only one who ever did, but you're always so busy!" Haruka said.

"Being a mother will do that to you..." Usagi played with the lace around her gloves. They didn't say anything else until Haruka finally pulled into the church's parking lot and helped Usagi out of her car.

"Hopefully we're not too late!" Michiru worried.

"You guys go to a Western-style church?" Usagi asked in awe.

"Of course we do, we're conservative Christians!" Haruka winked.

"Really? You guys don't seem like the type..." Usagi shook her head and let herself be led inside. A woman with dark hair and blue eyes promptly ran up to Michiru.

"Michiru-chan! I'm so glad to see you here again! It sucks that we can only hang out here at church, huh?" The woman asked in a fast voice. Michiru nodded.

"I'm too busy at home to really invite you over...but you don't really invite me over either!" Michiru giggled.

"I'm probably just about as busy as you!" The woman laughed nervously, then looked over at Usagi. "Oh, and you guys finally brought a guest! What's your name, sweetie?"

"I'm Tsukino Usagi..." Usagi blushed a bit and looked down.

"Nice to meet you! And you look so beautiful! You look just like a little doll! Who does your makeup for you?" The woman gushed.

"I do it myself. I don't wear it that often, so I'm surprised it looks good! But thank you!" Usagi smiled.

"This is Emi-chan, a church friend of mine. If I didn't introduce her, she would keep on talking forever! She's scatterbrained in that way..." Michiru giggled again.

"I'm also one of the singers here! Come on, the session is about to start! Let's sit you guys where you usually sit!" Emi beamed and led Michiru and Haruka away, leaving Usagi to run after them. Their usual seats turned out to be really close to the front, and Emi had already sat next to Michiru and was talking away. Usagi slipped into the spot next to thus, the session started.

The couple was worried Usagi would quickly grow bored and start talking too loudly or fall asleep, but she simply sat very still with her hands in her lap and paid close attention to everything that was going on. When it was announced that they were going to sing, she smiled a bit eagerly. Emi stood up at the front and started leading the song.

"Oh, this is one of my favorite church songs!" Usagi gushed, and starting singing along softly. The two smiled at her, then started singing too. While they were singing, a woman in a black business dress suddenly stood up and marched up to the front.

"Excuse me, young lady, but I must ask you something!" She asked her loudly to be heard over the music.

"What? I'm sorry, you can't right now, I'm singing!" Emi answered, spinning away from her. The woman gave her a dirty look.

"Being difficult, are you now? I know you're a Scorpio, and have a true Star Sign, so just be quiet and let me have it!" The woman ripped off her disguise and revealed herself to be Scorpio, making everybody scream.

"Who are you? What are you going to do to me?" Emi asked in fear, dropping her microphone.

"Be quiet and show me your Star Sign!~" Scorpio gushed, flicking her wrist at Emi and making a dull-colored Scorpio sign come out of her chest. She screamed loudly. "A dud? That's pretty stupid." She pouted. "I can't believe that's what I came all the way out here for!"

"Guys, we have to transform!" Usagi directed, and the other two nodded. They quickly ducked behind their pews to transform, since nobody would notice them in the chaos.

"Crystal Moon Princess Power, Makeup!"

"Uranus Eternal Power, Makeup!"

"Neptune Eternal Power, Makeup!" They all transformed into their various forms.

"Now everyone here can play with you as a monster!~" Scorpio giggled. Emi suddenly transformed into a sexualized singer with a cross necklace. She also had a scorpion tail. "Have fun!~" Scorpio vanished in a flash of black light.

"Oh no, we missed her!" Princess Sailor Moon cried.

"It doesn't matter, we have her monster to worry about!" Eternal Sailor Neptune reassuured her.

"I'm Singerella! Nice to see you all here tonight!" She formed a sharp microphone and threw it at Neptune, who quickly dodged it. "No going home early now, you hear? I heard there's supposed to be a thunderstorm!" She swept her arm in front of herself and a gust of wind surged from it, pushing the three backwards slightly. It managed to blow up Princess Sailor Moon's skirt, making her blush and push it down.

"Hey, what gives? That was really uncalled for! Plus, nobody wants to see my baby body!" She pulled off her tiara. "Moon Tiara Action!" She hurled her tiara at the monster, cutting her arm slightly.

"Ouch, that hurts! I should call security on you!" The monster teased and formed a sharp pencil. "Time to sign autographs!" She threw it at Princess Sailor Moon, who ducked and managed to dodge it.

"You're trying our patience!" Neptune said. "Submarine Violin Tide!" She played a violin and sent a strong wave of energy out at thee monster, making her scream and collapse.

"Space Turbulence!" Eternal Sailor Uranus sent a golden burst of energy out at the monster, making her pass out. "Now, Sailor Moon!"

Princess Sailor Moon nodded. "Right!" She grabbed her wand. "Moon Crystal Heart Embrace!"

The bright blue light surrounded the monster once more. "Charming!" She screamed, then transformed back into Emi. Her Star Sign went back into her chest and she fell to the floor. Neptune ran over to her.

"Emi-chan, are you alright?" She asked nervously. She quickly detransformed so Emi wouldn't know her other identity.

"We did a number on her, it might take her a while to wake up..." Uranus said nervously. Michiru glared at her.

"At least detransform too!" She snapped, and Emi stirred a bit. "Emi-chan! Are you okay?" She shook her gently. The other two quickly detransformed into their civilian forms.

"Michiru-chan...?" Emi asked weakly, and Michiru smiled.

"Yes, I'm right here!" She hugged her.

"Where am I? What happened?"

"You got light-headed from singing a really high note for a long time and fainted!" Michiru suggested.

"But that doesn't explain why the church is such a mess!" Emi persisted.

"Wind storm? A really strong one?" Usagi offered with a nervous smile. The other two stared at her. Emi giggled.

"Everyone left anyway, so I suppose that means service is over early today..." She stood up slowly and swayed a bit. "Are you going to bring your cute friend here next Sunday? I'd look forward to seeing her!"

"I guess there's no harm in coming here next Sunday, if I'm not busy that is. I'm already a mother and everything..." Usagi answered.

"How adorable! I bet your child is the sweetest little thing! And how is your husband? Does he treat you well? It's so refreshing to see someone in today's society fulfilling their wifely duties!" Emi gushed, again in a fast voice.

"That's not really why I got married..." Usagi laughed awkwardly.

"Come on, Usagi-san, we gotta get going!" Michiru nudged her, then waved goodbye to Emi. "And goodbye to you too!"

"Bye! Have fun!" Emi waved back, then started organizing some of the things put out of place by the battle. The three quickly left and jumped into the car.

"Did Emi-chan make you feel uncomfortable?" Michiru asked suddenly. "If she did, I'm sorry. She talks a lot without thinking."

"No, it's fine. I may be fulfilling my wifely duties, but I didn't marry to please anybody." Usagi answered.

"Are you going to drop off that dress at your place?" Haruka asked, but Usagi shook her head.

"No, I think I'll keep it at Mamo-chan's. After all, all the things from my old room are there too, so why not add this?" Usagi smiled. "Plus, I don't want to mess with Luna at the moment. She's gotten really heavy, and I'm afraid to see how her personality will be affected!"

"Like yours? I remember when you were pregnant, you became really shy and affectionate. It was so cute! You never wanted to be left alone at night, and we always drew straws to see who would spend the night with you...although we knew better than to mention you still had your husband..." Michiru giggled.

"I bet it was an annoyance though. At that point, Makoto-chan's business was starting to fail, and Ami-chan was getting ready to visit Russia. I'm sure my pregnancy wasn't easy for them to deal with." Usagi said.

"I'm sure they handled it just fine. Those two would give their lives for you." Haruka said. They pulled up in front of Mamoru's apartment, and Usagi got out of the car.

"Goodbye! See you guys soon!" She waved, and the couple waved back, then sped off. She ran inside the house, not bothering to knock. "Mamo-chan! I'm home!" She greeted, finding him in the kitchen and hugging him tightly from behind. He looked over at her and smiled.

"Hey there, Usako! How was church? You're home awfully early." He asked, turning around to face her.

"It was good, but we were attacked by a monster Scorpio created! But Uranus and Neptune were really strong, so they managed to defeat it." She explained.

"What a pretty dress! How come I've never seen you in it before?" He turned the stove off.

"It's my church dress, and you've never gone to church with me, silly! I'm keeping it here though, so I can wear it whenever you want me to!" She smiled widely.

"You even have lipstick on!" He kissed her. "I love it when you wear makeup..."

"Where's Usagi? Is she asleep again?" Usagi ran into the living room, finding her empty playmat.

"No, but she's in her crib. Since she's getting older, she doesn't need to sleep as much as she used to."

"I can't believe she'll be seven months old next month! She really does grow up fast..." She put her hands on her heart. "Some day, she'll be a beautiful princess and a faithful Sailor Senshi..."

"And you'll be the adored queen of Crystal Tokyo!" Mamoru came over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "And your friends will be your loyal guardians and ladies-in-waiting!"

"And they'll wear the prettiest gowns with lacy gloves and jewels on their throats! And every single one will have hair so long, it touches the ground!" They started dancing with each other.

"Some of them have already started!"

"I can't wait for the future...everything will be peaceful again..." She buried herself in his chest, and they stopped dancing.

"I know how you feel. We just need to get through this final evil wave, and perhaps then, everything will be peaceful again." He reassured her. She looked up at him, and they kissed again.


	13. Episode 13: Battle in the Daycare!

The Inner Senshi were hanging around in Makoto's cafe the next day, listening to the latest news on the TV. Usagi had tuned the TV out because she was struggling to feed a fussy Chibiusa in her stroller.

"Come on, eat your apples! You love apples!" Usagi cried in desperation, offering the spoon to Chibiusa. Chibiusa simply turned her mouth away from the spoon. "I know you're hungry!"

"In other news, there have been reported disappearances in the Forever Childhood Daycare. Whether the disappearances are of children or adults, however, has not yet been released to the public. Both should be wary of the news when enrolling their children in this place." The newscaster reported.

"Sounds like more Senshi business!" Minako grinned. leaning back in her seat.

"With a name like that, anybody would assume suspicious happenings..." Ami stated.

"Do you think adults who go in there turn into children?" Rei asked.

"There's only one way to know for sure, and that's to go in there ourselves!" Minako winked.

"Count me out on this mission guys, I have enough trouble trying to feed Usagi!" Usagi cried.

"Relax, we'll be fine. After all, we're all Eternal now!" Makoto said.

"Our first piece of celebrity gossip takes the form of several photos released to the public by a secret photographer." Someone on the TV announced.

"Oh, please turn this up! Celeb gossip is one of my most favorite things on the news!" Minako gushed, sitting up higher in her seat. Makoto did as she was told.

"These are the photos." The picture shown first took place back-stage of some sort of concert, and Michiru and Haruka were embracing each other in formal outfits. "The famous celeb couple of Kaioh Michiru and Tenoh Haruka were caught embracing backstage last week before one of Kaioh's concerts." The picture changed to show the two kissing, then the third one showed the two looking over at the camera with offended looks on their faces, and the fourth showed them covering the camera with their hands. Makoto turned the TV off after that with a small smile on her lips.

"Those two...they're really shameless, aren't they?" Rei asked, shaking her head.

"They should be more careful about such things!" Ami said.

"Enough sitting around, let's go to that daycare and beat those baddies!" Minako announced, and the other girls agreed with her. The four quickly ran out of the cafe and set off for the daycare.

The daycare was easy to find, since it was in the heart of downtown and was in a section the girls frequented. They all nodded at each other and walked up to the door and knocked on it.

"It looks like a privately-owned business, so we'll probably just inquire the owner about jobs." Ami noticed. Sure enough, the owner of the place opened the door with a grin on her face. She had long ebony black hair and tan skin.

"Ah, are you four my new volunteers? Please, follow me!" She led them inside. "Also, my name is Kotono, pleased to meet you all!"

"Nice to meet you too!" Minako greeted, waving at her. The four followed her through the long hallway, occasionally looking over at each other. After a while, Makoto looked down at herself and nearly screamed. She suddenly stopped walking, making the other three look at her.

"Guys, look down at your clothes!" She whispered urgently, and all the girls did and stopped themselves from screaming.

"Our clothes, they're our high-school uniforms!" Rei cried.

"And not only that, but our bodies have returned to how they looked when we were sixteen!" Ami noticed, looking down at herself.

"Is this how the daycare traps people and makes them vanish? By turning them into children?" Makoto asked.

"Turning them in teenagers doesn't seem very effective though..." Minako said. They all looked around and noticed they lost their guide, so they decided to roam the long hallway themselves. They didn't come across anything interesting for a while, but they eventually found a room that was designated as a middle-schoolers' room. They quickly peeked their heads in.

"How adorable! I miss being in middle school!" Minako gushed.

"They all seem to be around twelve years old..." Ami noticed.

As the four stood there talking, their bodies changed again until they resembled twelve-year-olds themselves. Rei's hair got pulled up into pigtails, and the other three had hair that had grown very short. Their uniforms had transformed back into their middle-school uniforms.

"How much longer must this go on?" Minako cried.

"Hey, just a second ago you were dreaming about being twelve again, and now you've gotten your wish!" Rei teased.

"Don't joke! We don't know how much younger we'll get! We could keep going until we turn into newborns, and what use will we be then?" Ami demanded, making the other two shut up.

"Let's keep looking around. I sense an evil presence in this building..." Makoto said, and the other three nodded and kept walking forward. They passed a room for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, but were too scared to stop and look inside, so they kept walking.

Eventually they reached the end of the hallway, which opened onto a room for kindergartners. Most of the children inside looked to be around six years old, and they all were running around and playing with various toys inside.

"We shouldn't look inside, otherwise we might turn younger!" Minako worried.

"There's nowhere else for us to go though, we'll just have to risk it." Makoto said.

"Wait! Let me try and call the Outer Senshi to help us!" Ami announced, pulling out her cell phone. The three waited for her to do so, but each time she hung her phone up in annoyance and tried again. "I can't reach them...they must be busy!"

"Looks like we're on our own then." Rei said. They all nodded, then took deep breaths and peeked inside the room. The whole room resembled a giant playground with a ball pit, several slides, and a swing set. There was a giant chest full of several types of toys off to the corner, and tables with colorful chairs were set in the other corner. As with the previous room, the girls felt their physical states deteriorate until they resembled six-year-olds.

Makoto's ponytail was really short and her uniform was navy blue with a bright pink bow in the center. Rei's uniform was bright pink and her pigtails were pulled even tighter. Minako's uniform had a bright pink bow on it as well, and her hair only went to her shoulders and was mostly pulled up by her red hair bow. Ami had a wreath of bright blue flowers in her hair, and a bright blue ribbon tied around her neck. Her uniform had a bright pink bow on it as well and a really short skirt. They all looked at each other and screamed.

"Hey, where did that come from? We can remain calm!" Minako demanded.

"Our mental states must be turning into the minds of first-graders as well..." Ami worried.

"Which means we'll lose our memories as Sailor Senshi!" Rei panicked.

"I hope the Outer Senshi sense we're in trouble and get here soon." Makoto said, and the other three nodded. Kotono came back into the room and shut the door.

"Well, my four volunteers skipped out on me, but all was not lost, since I gained four new members!~ What are your names, you sweet little girls?" She gushed, bending over to talk to them.

"I sense bad energy from you, lady! I don't like you!" Rei challenged, giving her a dirty look.

"My name is Minako!" Minako offered enthusiastically. The other two simply blushed and looked away.

"We're going to have so much fun today, aren't we? Why don't you start by telling me what you dream of doing the most in the whole world?" She sat on a nearby table and smiled at the girls.

"I wanna be a famous idol!" Minako yelled happily, dancing around.

"I want to take over grandpa's shrine!" Rei said with a smile.

"I love sweets! I want to own a bakery!" Makoto gushed.

"I want to be a doctor and help sick people, just like my mommy." Ami said shyly.

"Wonderful dreams, you all have!" Kotono clasped her hands together, then looked over at the door. "Oh, I think I have two more members! Wait here while I go get them!" She jumped off the table and skipped over to the door. The four girls stared at in worry.

"I don't like her, she's scary!" Rei said.

"I feel as if she's gotten people we know..." Ami said with worry in her voice.

"I hope not! Evil people are scary!" Minako got tears in her eyes. Kotono came back with two more little girls in her arms.

"Look, more members! They'll be your best friends!" She gushed, then set the two down in front of the Inner Senshi. The four girls gasped.

"I sense good energy from them! They are our friends!" Rei promptly announced.

"Do we know them? They look familiar..." Makoto said, staring at the two girls intently. The girl with teal hair hid her face in her hands.

"People are looking at me! I hate it! Haruka-san, make them stop!" Six-year-old Michiru cried, burying herself in six-year-old Haruka's chest. She simply glared at the Inner Senshi. The two were wearing their old school uniforms, except the colors had changed to pink and blue instead of red and green, and Michiru had white tights on under her skirt. Kotono sat back on her table.

"How about you two? We're talking about what we want to be when we grow up!~"

"I wanna be a famous race car driver!" Haruka answered proudly.

"I wanna be a famous violin player!" Michiru giggled. "I love violins! They're pretty-sounding!"

"Luckily for you girls, we have all kinds of toys here you can play with that will help practice for your dreams! And lots of apple juice for you to drink! So drink, play, have fun, and enjoy yourselves here at Forever Childhood Daycare!" Kotono produced a tray full of apple juice and set it down on a nearby table, then went over to talk to another group of kids. The six girls noticed several toys that resembled their desires, and their eyes instantly lit up. They ran over to the toys and started playing with them.

"I'm Doctor Ami! Let me check you for a fever!" Ami said, sitting Rei down on a chair and checking her heartbeat with a toy stethoscope. "Your heart is beating normally!"

Minako was singing her heart out on a toy microphone, ignoring some of the stares of children around her. "I believe in it, a miracle romance! Miracle romance!" She sung. Michiru played beside her on a tiny violin, but it was often played out of tune.

Makoto made herself content in a toy kitchen and pretended to make sweets for her parents and her. "Oh, mommy would love this so much!" She gushed over an empty plate. "It's a chocolate strawberry cake!" She took a play fork and pretended to eat it. "Yum, it's delicious!" Haruka found a toy car big enough for her to ride in and promptly starting kicking her feet really hard in it to make it go at a speed fast enough for her. She managed to steer herself right into Makoto, making her drop the plate.

"Get outta my way! I'm trying to drive here!" Haruka yelled at her. Makoto gave her a dirty look.

"I'm tryna cook here! Watch where you're going, you spilled all my food! I should make you pay for that!" She threatened, taking a fighting stance.

"I should make you pay for standing in my way!" Haruka jumped out of her car and also took a fighting stance. The other girls stopped what they were doing to look over at them. Haruka managed to grab onto Makoto's ponytail and tugged it hard enough to make her scream, so Makoto pinched Haruka's other arm. Haruka grabbed Makoto's ponytail harder, so Makoto kicked Haruka's knee to make her let go. She promptly ran away, and Haruka ran after her.

"Oh no, they're fighting!" Ami cried. "I hate fighting!"

"Somebody make them stop!" Michiru demanded, looking around. Kotono was nowhere to be seen, which meant the girls had to deal with the fight themselves. Rei ran over to Makoto and stood in her way, making them both fall down.

"What are you doing?" Makoto demanded.

"Calm down!" Rei directed.

"No! That mean girl made me spill my food!" Makoto said.

"It wasn't real food anyway!"

"Says you!" Makoto pulled hard on one of Rei's pigtails, and she responded by pulling on Makoto's ponytail.

Kotono came back with a tray of apple juice and pulled Rei off of Makoto.

"We can't have any fights in here, this is a happy place of dreams!~" She cooed. "Let's all have some apple juice and be happy!" The six girls all took a cup and started drinking it in a very noisy and messy way, as typical of little girls.

"I feel like we drank a bad thing before and we should be careful not to drink any more!" Michiru cautioned.

"But this juice is so good!" Minako protested, taking a second glass and drinking it.

"Yes, please drink up! Forget your silly little fight and resolve to have fun instead!~" Kotono continued to gush. "Oh, you six are my best students. I don't think I should let you go home, I should just keep you here all night long!"

Eventually the six girls had drunk nearly their six-year-old weight in apple juice, and felt that pressure building up in a very certain spot.

"I have to use the toilet! Where is it?" Makoto demanded immediately.

"Toilets are for squares! I should just go right here!" Minako giggled.

"Don't do that, that's wrong!" Ami scolded her. Kotono simply smiled.

"All right, now we can really get to work!" She ripped off her disguise. "Now, which one of you has a true Star Sign? Don't you try lying to me!"

"AHHHHH! A MONSTER!" The six girls screamed in absolute terror, having no memory of all the previous monsters they've had to fight.

"Damn straight I am, now give me the Star Sign! Otherwise, I'll have to hurt one of you!~" Scorpio grinned, pulling on her tail.

"What are we supposed to do? We can't fight monsters!" Michiru cried in fear. Tears formed in her eyes.

"And we can't leave! We're stuck!" Rei cried as well, adding to the girls' panic. Scorpio simply pulled on her tail again.

"I think I'll take the Star Sign of you first, you loud girl!" She threatened, pointing at Rei. She whipped her tail out at her.

"Dead Scream." The attack hit Scorpio and had enough strength to knock her into a wall. The girls all looked over at the direction of the attack.

"That voice-!" Ami started.

"I feel good energy again! She's a friend!" Rei exclaimed happily.

"I feel as if I know her from somewhere..." Haruka pondered.

Super Sailor Pluto stepped out of the shadows, and the six girls eagerly ran up to her and tugged on her, all wanting to be held by her. She hadn't escaped the daycare's evil magic, however, and she had aged down very obviously into a sixteen-year-old. "You six! You're the others!" She said in surprise. "I almost didn't recognize you!"

"You must be a friend of ours!" Minako gushed, holding onto her leg.

"I see, you don't have any memories of being a Sailor Senshi...at least you can sense I'm a friend of yours." Pluto smiled a bit, then glared over at Scorpio, who had gotten back up. "I'm sorry, but I have to fight the monster now, okay? Go be good girls and watch from the sidelines and cheer me on!" The six agreed and ran off to a nearby corner to watch.

"I'm sick of all these inferences with my daycare! I see that even someone like you isn't affected by my magic, so in theory, I should be able to wait around until you turn into your friends! Then you'll be powerless to stop me!" Scorpio laughed softly.

"It's my duty to defeat you, and I'll do it whether I'm six or sixty!" Pluto pointed her Garnet Rod at Scorpio. "Now, tell me what your plan for the daycare is!"

"It's simple, really. I lure people here with the promise of volunteering and actual daycare services, but the curse Mistress placed on this place turns them physically and mentally into six-year-olds! I check their Star Signs to see who has a true one, but alas, none so far!~"

"That's a lot of planning for such a small task!" Pluto taunted.

"It doesn't matter, not when I've gotten your Star Sign!" Scorpio launched her tail at Pluto, who managed to dodge it. She swung her Garnet Rod at Scorpio and managed to hit her face really hard, but Scorpio scratched her side enough to make her bleed. "I'm going to win this fight, just admit it!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Eternal Sailor Jupiter stepped out of the shadows as her normal nineteen-year-old self.

"Jupiter! How did you get back to normal?" Pluto asked in amazement.

"Since you're weakening her, the curse on this place must be lifting! I'll now gladly give you a hand in beating her!" Jupiter winked. "Jupiter Flower Hurricane!" She sent out a wave of sharp flowers at Scorpio, who got cut up by them badly.

"You're cheating! You're a Sagittarius, not a Scorpio!" Scorpio griped.

"They're close on the calender though! Venus Wink Chain Sword!" Eternal Sailor Venus sliced Scorpio's tail off with her sword, making her scream.

"That was my only weapon! Now you've left me defenseless!" She protested.

"You have a bad habit of announcing your weak spots to the enemies." Eternal Sailor Mars stepped out of the shadows with Eternal Sailor Mercury by her side. "Mars Snake Fire!"

"Mercury Aqua Mirage!"

At this point, Pluto had returned to her regular twenty-four-year-old self, and she looked over at Scorpio. "Now, one final attack should knock you down for good!"

"Watch where you're pointing that thing!" Scorpio grinned and suddenly kicked the Garnet Rod out of Pluto's hands, sending it swirling away on the floor. "Now we both have no weapons, so it'll be fair!~"

"You villains always want to fight dirty like this..." Pluto said. "Fine. You wanna fight that way? Then let's fight!" She took a fighting stance.

"Wait! You can't forget about us!" Eternal Sailor Neptune cried. "We're one of the most powerful ones here!"

"Will you all just go away and stop popping up like it's some sort of childrens' book...?" Scorpio demanded in a tired voice.

"But there's one attack I've always wanted to try out!" Neptune grinned, and Uranus looked over at her.

"Is it the one I'm thinking of? If so, we're not doing it because there's no proof it'll work!" Uranus protested.

"Why would it not? Venus has done something like it before!"

In the chaos Pluto managed to get her Garnet Rod back and spun it around mockingly.

"Fine! Just hurry and get it over with. If nothing else, it'll distract her long enough for Pluto to finish her off." Uranus grumbled.

"Let's do it!" The two stood back-to-back. "Uranus-Neptune Special Methane Attack!" They promptly super-jumped over to Scorpio and blocked her on both ends, then they blew methane gas into her face.

"Ick! This burns! Get it away from me!" Scorpio cried with watering eyes.

"Dead Scream." Pluto did her attack, engulfing Scorpio in a flash of purple light that slowly faded into black, then she was nothing more. No trace of her was left since her tail was cut off.

"Whoa, you guys have methane breath! So cool!" Venus gushed.

"It's because your planets' atmospheres are surrounded in methane, right? Venus can breath sulfur onto enemies, and her atmosphere is made of sulfur, so it would only make sense." Mercury suggested.

"Do you think anyone else here can do that?" Jupiter asked eagerly. "After all, I'm known for being a gas giant!"

"I think just those three." Mars said, shaking her head.

"Why do you need more? This place smells rank now because of our attack!" Uranus snapped.

"Oh, that means our breath smells bad too!" Neptune worried.

"I hate to cut this conversation short, but the place is about to collapse on us!" Pluto announced, and the girls turned alert.

"Come on, let's go!" Venus announced before darting away. The other girls followed her, and they all leaped out of the front door right as the building fell down all around. Shortly after collapsing, the whole building vanished.

"Hopefully there was nobody in there..." Mercury said worriedly.

Pluto got surrounded by a black light and spun herself around, and when the light vanished, her outfit matched everybody else's.

"Eternal Sailor Pluto!" They all announced in surprise.

"Your lipstick looks the strangest! Black lips?" Jupiter laughed.

"We have to hurry back to Usagi-san's place and tell her what happened today." Pluto said sternly, and the others agreed. They all detransformed and ran off to tell her.

"By the way, the strangest thing that happened was that all that apple juice I drank earlier just went away! Like I was about to burst as a toddler, but now I feel fine!" Minako laughed.

"Your bladder most likely doubled in size, so you don't feel it anymore!" Ami said.

"Can we stop talking about this? It's grossing me out." Rei demanded, making the other girls laugh.

###########

"You are one of my last ones, and I hesitate using you because of your young age and inexperience." Mistress rubbed her head.

"Inexperience?" The girl shrieked in a high-pitched voice. "Clearly, I'm the best, which is why you chose me last, right?"

"You're clearly not my last one, and I don't trust you very well, so I'm giving you a partner."

"Who? Who could possibly match up to the greatness and wonder that only I could possess?"The girl asked proudly, poking her chest.

"Why don't you turn around?" Mistress smiled, and another girl stepped out of the shadows. This girl had crab claws instead of hands and also had claws on her head. "This is Cancer, a very energetic but intelligent sign. She'll help you."

"I don't need help! I can do this all by myself!" The girl screamed in insistence.

"You're throwing a temper tantrum? But Mistress only wants the best for her, and you, and all of us!" Cancer insisted.

"Stop your idle chatter and hurry to the city! I won't wait for those pure Star Seeds forever, you know!" Mistress demanded, and the two quickly bowed to her.

"Yes, Mistress." They said seriously, then vanished.

###########

That night, Hotaru had another nightmare, and amazed herself about how she didn't wake up and scream from it. She couldn't remember the dream very well, but she knew it had something to do with the world's end, and her room had suddenly grown colder as a result. She didn't feel comfortable in that room anymore, so she darted upstairs into the master bedroom and shook the person who was closer to the door.

"Hello? Are you awake?" She asked softly. Michiru eventually woke up and looked at her in the darkness.

"Little princess? What are you doing awake?" She asked nervously, sitting up in bed.

"I had a nightmare and wanted to know if it was okay to sleep with you two?" Hotaru asked sweetly, and Michiru smiled at her.

"Of course! Here, you can sleep in my spot, and I'll scoot in closer..." She pushed herself into the middle of the bed, then patted down the spot she was previously lying in. Hotaru jumped right in and buried herself in the covers.

"I don't remember the dream, so please don't ask me about it..." She warned weakly before closing her eyes.

"Don't worry, we don't speak of bad dreams in here. Only sweet dreams are allowed in our bedroom." Michiru snuggled with Hotaru to make her feel better and relaxed when she felt the teenager's steady breathing that indicated sleep. As she herself fell back to sleep, she couldn't help but wonder what could possibly be in store for them if Hotaru was already having nightmares...


	14. Episode 14: A Day with Baby!

The next day, all of the Inner Senshi were busy with work, so Usagi decided to see if any of the Outer Senshi were available. She dressed in a warm outfit again and pushed her stroller all the way over to the mansion and knocked on the door. She expected one of the older women to open it, but instead it was Hotaru. She was wearing her usual black turtleneck and miniskirt, except she had black tights and heeled lace-up black boots with it. Around her shoulders was a checkered cardigan held in place by a purple rose. Somehow her old clothes were recovered by her current parents.

"Usagi-san! What are you doing here?" She asked happily, leaning on the door.

"All of my friends are at work right now, so I was wondering if you wanted to have a playdate with Usagi today?" Usagi offered with a smile on her face. Hotaru's eyes lit up.

"Aren't you worried it's too cold for that though? After all, there's still snow on the ground." Hotaru asked.

"Nonsense, we can take her to the mall and let her play at the playground they have inside! No snow there!" The two giggled. Hotaru got on her knees and smiled at Chibiusa inside her stroller.

"Good morning to you, Chibiusa-chan! We're going to go on a playdate together! Doesn't that sound like fun?" She teased, holding her hands out to Chibiusa. The baby giggled and grabbed her hands.

"Come on, let's get going. You might want to ask your parents first before we go though." Usagi pulled the stroller away and Hotaru stood up.

"They'll be fine with it! Besides, Setsuna-mama's at work right now, and both Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama haven't come out of their bedroom all morning, so it's not like anybody's around to ask." She simply shrugged, then ran outside with her. Usagi shrugged as well since she had nothing else to say, and they both went on their way to the mall.

###########

It took a long time to reach the mall on foot, partially because some of the snow was starting to melt and leaving ice behind, so Usagi had to find a way to maneuver the heavy stroller past the massive ice patches covering the sidewalk. Finally they reached the mall, and both ran inside and made a beeline for the indoor playground.

Several families were there already, taking advantage of the warm building for their kids to play in. Usagi took Chibiusa out of her stroller, but realized that almost everything there was designed to be used by a much older child. Hotaru promptly threw off her shoes and climbed into the trampoline and started jumping on it with several other kids. Usagi carried Chibiusa over to a giant pile of fluffy, squishy pillows that looked perfect for both climbing on and building a pillow fort with. She set Chibiusa down on one and she briefly looked at her with her bright red eyes.

"Mama?" She asked, then pulled herself up and stuck a corner of the bright yellow pillow into her mouth. She started sucking on it.

"Don't do that, you don't know where that's been!" Usagi teased, gently taking the corner out of her mouth and giggling. She placed another purple pillow beside Chibiusa, making her giggle in delight and try to pull herself onto that one.

"Pill-pill!" She screamed happily, falling off the purple pillow onto a fluffy blue one. Inside of crying about it, however, she looked at the tall pillow mountain with a determined look in her eyes and tried to climb on top again.

"You can do it! I believe in you!" Usagi said with encouragement. Another woman came by with her son in her arms. The woman herself had long brown hair tightly pulled into a braid and tied back with a silk green ribbon, a heavy green sweater-dress, and big glasses. She smiled at Usagi.

"Is that your daughter?" She asked politely, and Usagi nodded. "How adorable! She's so adorable. Although, aren't you a bit too young to be having kids?"

"I'm nineteen, what about it? I consider myself fortunate to be in such a loving relationship!" Usagi snapped, her eyes turning hard for a second. She looked away.

"Don't worry, I'm not bothered about it at all! I'm Megumi, and this is my son, Hikaru. Can you say 'hi', Hikaru?" She coaxed her son, who kept staring at Chibiusa with his big brown eyes. "Don't mind him, he's been showing a lot of anxiety towards strangers. Mind if I sit next to you?" Megumi sat down next to Usagi without hearing her answer. "Now, what's your name?"

"I'm Usagi, and this is my daughter, who's also named Usagi..." Usagi explained lamely. She never realized up until that point how weird her daughter's name sounded, but it was far too late to do anything about it.

"You named your child after yourself? That's strange." Megumi stated, bouncing her son in her lap. "I named my son after my husband though, so I guess I'm not really allowed to complain."

Chibiusa had managed to pull herself up onto the bigger pillow and laughed joyfully. "Pill-pill!" She cheered. Usagi giggled and clapped for her.

"Yay! You conquered the pillow mountain!" She laughed.

"You're a very cheerful person, aren't you?" Megumi asked nicely.

"Yeah, although I don't know why. It's just a trait of mine I never outgrew, I guess." Usagi shrugged, then carefully peeled Chibiusa off the pillow. "What do you want to do next, Usagi?"

"Mama?" Chibiusa asked, looking up at her.

"You're not old enough for most of the things here...but it's almost time for lunch anyway. Let's go have some, shall we?" She asked, and Chibiusa squirmed in her arms. She put the baby back in her stroller and motioned for Hotaru to follow her. The teen bounced off the trampoline, into her shoes, then ran after Usagi.

The two got to the food court and Usagi instantly pulled out several jars of baby food for Chibiusa to eat. She started out with peaches, which Chibiusa was extremely happy to eat and gobbled them up quickly. Hotaru had some money for food, so she got some buckwheat noodles and apple juice and sat down at Usagi's table to eat.

"Wouldn't it be nice if every day was like this?" Hotaru asked in a dreamy voice.

"It was, for three straight years. It makes sense that we'd have to pay dues, but I just wish it wasn't when I was a mother." Usagi sighed and started feeding pears to Chibiusa, who ate them after some hesitation.

"You'll always be a mother from now on though!" Hotaru pointed out. "Although, I guess after a while Chibiusa-chan will grow up to take your place..."

"Call her Usagi." Usagi smiled slightly. Megumi walked over to them again and simply pulled up a chair.

"Hey there, Usagi-san! And...Usagi-imuto-chan! And who is this darling doll with the black hair? Another daughter of yours?" Megumi asked without thinking. Hotaru briefly looked up at her from her bowl.

"No, she's the adopted daughter of some friends of mine. Her real father is in the hospital with mental problems right now, so they gladly took her in under his care." Usagi explained. Hotaru played with her chopsticks.

"How sweet of them! I know a lot of parents around this area, so maybe I know them too! What are their names?" Megumi persisted.

"I don't feel very comfortable giving out their names..." Usagi blushed a bit. "They're very private people, and I don't think they'll like the fact that I'm spreading their names around." In reality, they weren't private people at all, being international sensations, but Usagi knew the various prejudices people could have, and she knew lots of people wouldn't take too kindly to the fact Hotaru was being raised by _three _mothers.

"Ah, some modern family with modesty! All the families I know want their relationships and affairs to be up in everyone's business, when nobody really cares!" Megumi laughed. "Anyway, I gotta use the bathroom. Watch my son for me, will you?" She handed Hikaru to Usagi before she could respond and ran off to the nearby bathroom.

Her son seemed to be way more active than Chibiusa, since the instant he was put into her arms, he squirmed around and started pulling on Usagi's hair.

"Ouch!" She yelled. "Don't pull on my hair! That's bad!" She scolded, but Hikaru kept doing it. Chibiusa gave Usagi a sour look from her stroller since she was no longer being fed, and all Usagi could do was look over at Hotaru. Hotaru got the message and grabbed a jar of peas and scooped some onto a spoon.

"Eat up, Chibiusa-chan! A future princess and Sailor Senshi needs her vegetables!" She laughed, and Chibiusa ate her peas happily.

Meanwhile, Megumi was walking back from the bathroom when she was stopped by a red-head dressed entirely in black Victorian-era clothes. She gave her a strange look.

"What do you want from me? If you're trying to rob me, you're out of luck, since you're in a public place and I have no money!" She said in a rush, trying to run off but only being backed into a wall. The woman smiled a bit.

"Please don't cause a scene and just show me your Star Sign. I feel energy from you, so you must have the Cancer sign I'm looking for. Just show me it and I can go home and be happy." The woman explained politely. Megumi simply stared at her blankly. "You won't offer it? Alright, then I'll just have to take it myself." She calmly undressed herself, revealing curly hair as red as a lobster, bright pink skin, and crab claws on her head and replacing her hands. Her dress was a yellow sheer cover-up that revealed a bright red bikini underneath. "I'm the Star Sign known as Cancer, and anyone who happens to share my weeks shall meet an untimely end. That includes you." She flicked her wrist in front of Megumi, making her scream as a buff-colored Cancer sign pushed out of her chest. "You're a dud? That's a pity."

"Stop right there!" A voice in the shadows demanded. Cancer looked over in her direction. Princess Sailor Moon stepped out of the shadows. "I won't let you take the spirit of a young mother who's just trying to provide for her only child! I'm the pretty Sailor Soldier fighting for love and justice, Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!" She posed. Cancer stared at her.

"You're too late to stop me! Actually, this isn't what I want anyway, so you can have it." She carelessly tossed the Star Sign to Princess Sailor Moon and vanished in a flash of red light, making Princess Sailor Moon almost drop the Star Sign in surprise.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" She demanded to nobody. Megumi suddenly transformed into a monster. She was dressed like a nanny with crab claws.

"Miss Motherly! Time to take care of you!" The monster grinned, forming a giant baby bottle.

"I don't need your care, I'm too old for a nanny!" Princess Sailor Moon protested.

"Make sure the milk isn't too hot!" The monster threw the giant bottle at her, sending boiling milk spiraling out. She screamed and dodged it and the bottle exploded when it hit a wall. "And make sure to soothe the baby with rattles!" The monster formed a giant pink rattle in her hands and grew it to be bigger than her, then held it over her head.

"No more of this! I'm a mother, and you're not teaching me anything different!" Princess Sailor Moon jumped up and kicked the rattle out of the monster's hands, making it vanish when it hit the floor. "Moon Tiara Action!" She hurled her jeweled at the monster, cutting her side and making her fall over. She pulled out her wand. "I can't believe I've had to fight you all by myself! Moon Crystal Heart Embrace!" The bright blue light jumped out and surrounded the monster, making her scream.

"Charming!" She quickly transformed back into Megumi, her Star Sign going back into her chest. She promptly fell over again. Princess Sailor Moon detransformed and ran over to her.

"Thank goodness, you're still alright." She smiled a bit. Megumi woke up shortly afterwards, extremely confused.

"Where am I? Where's Hikaru?" She instantly asked.

"It's fine, and he's fine. You simply fell and hit your head leaving the bathroom. Luckily, I was here, so I made sure you didn't sustain any injuries." Usagi smiled more, but Megumi simply stood up.

"Thank you, but I really must go check on my Hikaru!" She ran back into the food court to find Hotaru playing with Hikaru by holding his hands and clapping them together for him. He kept laughing, and the laughter was infectious, since Chibiusa was laughing as well. "Oh, Hikaru!" Megumi ran over and promptly lifted him out of Hotaru's lap. "Thank you darling, for keeping him safe. However, I'm fine now, so I must take him back home with me." She flipped her hair and walked away, Hikaru still looking at Hotaru. Hotaru waved at them.

"She's an...interesting person." Usagi offered lamely, then took her seat back. "Did Usagi give you any trouble? Did she eat everything?"

"Of course she did! She even ate all her apples!" Hotaru smiled.

"Really? She never eats apples when I feed them to her." Usagi glared at her baby, who simply laughed. "You little...of course you would eat when someone else is feeding you! You'll be in so much trouble for this when you visit me in the past!" She yelled at her. Hotaru stared at her.

"You're losing it..." She stated. Usagi sighed.

"She's always giving me trouble and she's not even a year old yet! How am I supposed to deal with this?" Usagi leaned back in her seat.

"You obviously did, because of how she ended up. Just think, one day you'll be sending her to the past to train as a Sailor Senshi!" Hotaru slipped more noodles into her mouth.

"That's such a strange thing to think about..." Usagi looked down at the table, and Hotaru finished all of her food and drink. She threw the bowl and cup away, then took the stroller around for a ride around the circular food court to entertain Chibiusa. The baby loved it and giggled.

"Hot-Hot!" She cheered, reaching out for Hotaru. Hotaru giggled and held her hands.

"Hey, you almost said my name!" She gushed.

"We should get her home, she's had a long day." Usagi suggested, taking the stroller from Hotaru. "And you need to get home too, so let's go." Hotaru nodded and followed Usagi back to her own place. As they were walking, Hotaru suddenly remembered the nightmare she had the other night and figured she should tell Usagi about it.

"Usagi-san, I don't know how I should tell you this, but..." She started, making Usagi look over at her. "Lately, I've been having these really vivid nightmares. They don't scare me as much as they used to when I was a child, but they still concern me. My parents and aunt know I've been having them, but they can't make any sense of them. I can't remember most of them, and the ones I do remember make no sense."

"What happens in the ones you remember?" Usagi asked nervously.

"Mostly they're just images of the final battles I've taken part in. You know, the ones against Galaxia and Pharaoh 90. Except I don't do anything in them but stand on the side and watch as the other Senshi die. The one about Pharaoh 90 disturbs me the most. It's just this anomaly devouring the Inner Senshi, and I try to stop it, but he tells me that I wouldn't point a weapon at my own father. That part always shocks me into silence, and he laughs and breaks my Silence Gavilion, then makes me watch as he devours the Earth. After that part, I always wake up. I have no idea what it means, if anything, and it disturbs me and scares me so much!" Hotaru cried. Despite insisting she wasn't scared of the dreams anymore, Usagi could see Hotaru's tears in her eyes that showed her lie.

"Maybe they're just nightmares? After all, the brain does mysterious things." Usagi suggested.

"Who knows. I just hope you're right, and I'm not having dreams of an apocalyptic future to come." Hotaru shivered a bit, but Usagi couldn't tell if it was from the cold or her fear.

"Those villains are dead! So we have nothing to worry about!"

"Revival? Maybe this new villain could revive them. We only know her name and nothing about how powerful she is. I'm not even sure the name we know is her real name!" Hotaru started chewing on her thumbnail. "Mistress..."

The two girls stopped in front of the mansion, where the front door was standing slightly ajar. "I guess that means Setsuna-mama's home, and she's most likely worried sick about me! I didn't leave a note or anything..." Hotaru laughed a bit in embarrassment. "Anyway, thanks for taking me out today, and thanks for listening to my...dreams."

"No problem! It's my job as your gorgeous leader, after all!" Usagi proclaimed proudly. She hugged Hotaru goodbye, then watched as the teenager slowly slipped into her house and shut the door. Usagi turned the stroller around and started heading home to her own place, thinking about the new threat.

##########

Her own galaxy might've been destroyed, but there was a whole new one right next door to her own, ripe for the picking. Of course, she couldn't just start by conquering the entire galaxy, that was too expected. No, she would start by taking over the most famous star system in it; a system known only as the Solar System. An uncreative name, in her opinion, but there was nothing she could do about it. She learned that the various planets and celestial bodies had their own guardians, and only once they had fallen could she control their homeworlds. Excited by her plan, she gathered up the Twelve Zodiacs, whose power could only be defeated by a guardian whose Star Sign matched their own. With the monster created by these Zodiacs, the Zodiacinas, she could steal these pure Star Signs from the planet guardians and rule their system. Would she move onto the rest of this galaxy, or stay in this system?

She didn't know, but there would be plenty of time to speculate later. She was a bit dismayed to have learned the removal of the pure Star Signs would result in their owner dying, as she would've enjoyed to keep the guardians as servants to mock them, but maybe she could find a way to keep them alive. She was also increasingly getting worried by the dwindling number of her Twelve Zodiacs and the arrival of a powerful crystal known only as the Diamond Crystal. Yes, she would have to obtain that as soon as she got the chance, since its existence could only spell her demise.

In the meantime, however, she had fun fantasizing about what these so-called 'Sailor Senshi' were like. She imagined them as being highly incompetent once they were faced with a real challenge, such as herself. She couldn't wait to destroy them one by one; without even laying a single finger on them.

She would destroy them simply by isolating them and forcing them to fight their biggest fears, a feat not possible by even the strongest of them. Who would want to face their strongest fear? After they gave up and succumbed, she would sweep in and steal their pure Star Signs, leaving them to die there.

The more she thought about her plan, the more excited she got about setting it into motion, but it would have to wait until all Twelve Zodiacs were defeated and the guardians found themselves in her palace. Then, and only then, would her plan be set into motion, and only then will it work. She would make sure of it, for she wasn't Princess Andromeda of the Beta Star System.


	15. Episode 15: We All Wanna Be Idols!

In the abandoned arcade, Capricorn started her search for potential pure Star Sign owners. After a while, however, it was clear she was looking more for famous people than any actual targets. Cancer appeared in a flash of red light and walked over to her.

"Any luck in finding a target?" She asked out of pure kindness. "Maybe your target will be the one with a pure Star Sign, and Mistress will be pleased with you!"

"Go away! I don't need you as my partner!" Capricorn snapped at her.

"I didn't even say anything about our partnership..." Cancer said, taken back. "I was actually trying to praise you..."

"I need a plan that will capture a bunch of people all at once, so I can search them one at a time for a pure Star Sign! But what would be a good plan?" Capricorn threw down her magazine in frustration, making it open up to an article on legendary idol Minako Aino, also known as the Goddess of Love. Cancer picked it up and stared at it.

"Hey, I have an idea! What about an idol contest? We could attract dozens of potential teenagers who think they have what it takes to be a singer, and pose as judges! Then, we could capture their Star Signs and see who has a pure one! And we could get this woman to endorse us, since she's so famous! Her fans would flock to any place she'd appear at!" Cancer suggested with a smile on her face. Capricorn gave her a dirty look.

"Quiet, can't you see I'm trying to think here?" She yelled at her, and Cancer bowed her head in apology. "I got it! An idol contest! With this famous singer appearing as a speaker! It's perfect! And with all the people who show up to show off their talent, we could attack them and take their Star Signs! And of course, we'd be dressed as judges, so nobody would know who we were!" Capricorn sported a massive grin on her face. Cancer struggled to smile while she crumbled up the magazine.

"That sounds like a lovely plan, Capricorn! I'm so glad Mistress made us partners!" She teased, hoping it would make Capricorn upset. She was so young, anything could set her off, really.

"I know it's a good plan, that's why I should be working alone! After all, I'm the best Zodiac there is, and only I will bring Mistress a pure Star Sign! Just watch me!" She vanished in a swirl of purple light. Cancer sighed and vanished as well.

#########

"Did you guys hear? Two judges from a far-away city are holding an idol contest! And they want the Goddess of Love there to present!" Minako squealed, showing the girls the poster at Makoto's cafe.

"That's as obvious a trap if I've ever heard one." Rei quickly decided.

"You don't know that! Maybe just for once, this is an actual contest!" Minako shot back. Secretly, however, she knew Rei was correct and it was just a way of luring her into a trap.

"How about we go there and infiltrate it?" Makoto suggested. "We could dress ourselves up and say we're a wealthy but obscure band from another nation, and see if they're the real thing or not!"

"I don't think that'll work very well, after all, everyone already knows what Minako-chan looks like!" Ami said.

"Nonsense, we can just wear masks!" Makoto said.

"I don't have anything better to do today, so why not?" Usagi said.

"Perfect! Then let's go get some disguises!" Minako beamed.

########

"You want me to make...what?" Setsuna asked in disbelief when the girls showed her their ideas for their disguises.

"It shouldn't be that hard for you, since you make outfits for me to model all the time!" Minako smiled.

"Plus, you're a master of time!" Makoto teased with a grin on her face.

"But to make costumes as complex as these for all five of you in such a short amount of time...it would take me several months just to make one of these!" Setsuna rubbed her head.

"Not if we all pitch in and help!" Rei exclaimed. "We can all work on these night and day, and they'll be done in no time!"

"Plus, the actual contest isn't until a week from now, so we have tons of time!" Ami reassured them.

"Perfect! Let's get started then!" Makoto pulled out a long strip of lime-green cloth and tossed it at one of the girls. Setsuna continued to rub her head.

"I'm getting too old to deal with you girls..." She grumbled.

#######

The day of the contest finally arrived, and as usual, some of the girls started to regret their disguises and the plan altogether, while the others thought it was brilliant. Rei was the first to come out of her dressing room.

"This is stupid, I look demonic with these contacts." She paused in front of a mirror to adjust her dark red eye contacts and her orange mask. On her forehead was a jeweled red tiara with the Mars symbol on the front, and it came with a matching choker and earrings. She also had a bracelet. Her skirt and shoes resembled her regular Sailor outfit, but the top had massive red shoulder pads and a lacy trim going down her front. A giant purple bow tied the look together and was snapped back with a Mars pin. "It's so obvious who I am, why don't we just stamp it on our foreheads while we're at it?" Minako came out next.

"We're just having some fun, lighten up! Nobody likes a spoil-sport!" She gently pushed Rei out from in font of the mirror and started looking at herself.

"And nobody likes to be captured because they're wearing an obvious disguise!" She shot back.

Minako's outfit was basically her old Sailor V costume, which had the Venus symbol sewn onto her gloves. She also put on gold contact lenses. "Come on, since we're the first ones done, we can go set up our stage!" She grabbed Rei's wrist and dragged her over to backstage so they could set up.

Ami came out next, and her outfit looked the most different out of everyone else's. She had a long blue blouse on with giant silver shoulder pads sticking out. The hem of her sleeves were tied with little pink ribbons, and a matching ribbon was tied around her chest. It was held in place by a green Mercury symbol. The blouse was attached to a knee-length dark blue skirt with white buttons going up the front. She had on blue goggles and a white microphone attached to them. Her shoes were blue heels with a green Mercury symbol on them. Instead of the other two, she didn't look at herself in the mirror and instead waited for the last two to finish and come out.

"I'm not coming out!" Usagi suddenly protested. "My stretch marks are really visible in this skirt!"

"Nobody's going to care about your baby body, Usagi-chan..." Ami sighed wearily.

"It's really obvious in this outfit though! Look!" Usagi shoved the curtain aside and presented her outfit for Ami to look over. She had a white blouse on that exposed a large part of her stomach and a dark blue pleated skirt that tied in the back and went to her knees. A red bow was tied on her chest and was kept in place by a silver brooch with a golden flower on it. Her choker was pink with a crescent moon on it, and a red sun-shaped charm hung from it. Her earrings were dangling silver moons, and her dumpling-covers were golden discs. Her tiara was the regular color and shape it was in her original transformation, except with a pink gem in the center. A white mask hid her eyes. Yellow wristbands and red gloves finished her look. To hide her identity even better, she put on bright red contact lenses and a bright pink wig that she styled into her usual hair-style. Usagi spun around and pointed to the various stretch-marks that could be seen on both her stomach and legs. "Nobody wants to watch a singer who looks like this!"

"Nonsense! A lot of singers nowadays have babies, and a lot of their fans just think that makes them look sexier." Ami tried to comfort her. Truth be told though, she couldn't think of any famous singers whose fans were made happy by them having a baby, so she was glad Usagi didn't ask her for any examples.

"Really? Well, alright. As long as the spotlights are kept off of me, I won't care." Usagi looked away. Makoto finally came out of her dressing room, and her outfit was the strangest among them all.

Her choker was a lime-green strip of fabric that covered her whole neck, and her top was simply a white bikini top. A pink ribbon was tied to her blue Sailor collar and held in place by a golden Jupiter symbol. Her gloves had the same symbol, and her skirt was lime-green and had lace around the hem and top. Her boots were dark green and went up to her knees. Her ponytail was held in place by a silver disc. The thing both Ami and Usagi found themselves staring at, however, was what she was using to hide her face. She had both a microphone and attenea coming from her headpiece, and also had a dark green gas mask on.

"Well, is everyone else ready? Let's get on-stage!" Makoto cheered, unaware of how strange her voice sounded coming from the mask. Usagi tried her best not to scream and draw attention. Even Ami herself looked at a loss for words. "What? What are you two staring at?"

"What's with your mask?" Usagi blurted out.

"Oh, this? I thought it would hide not only my face but my voice too! Plus, we're dressing like alien princesses from different planets, right? The atmosphere on Jupiter is really thin compared to Earth's atmosphere, so any Jovian princess would need to take precautions on her health, right?" Makoto explained.

"Please take that off! It looks weird!" Usagi demanded.

"We don't have time! Our show's on next!" Minako informed them from backstage.

"Come on, let's go!" Ami shoved the two women on-stage and they all took their places accordingly. The two judges stared at them excitingly, although one of them seemed to be very surprised by Makoto's strange appearance.

"Alright, and what is the name of your band? And your names?" The judge with red hair and a black Victorian gown asked in a professional tone.

"We're the band Peach Hips!" Minako answered brightly. "My name is Fukami Rica!" She turned her guitar on.

"And I'm Shinohara Emi!" Makoto said, leaning on her drums.

"I'm Tomizawa Michie!" Rei answered, pointing to herself. She pulled her microphone up to match her height.

"My name is Hisakawa Aya!" Ami stated.

"And I'm their leader, Mitsuishi Kotono!" Usagi said quickly. "Our theme for tonight are princesses from around the solar system! I hope you don't mind!"

"It's quite an unusual theme, but I can handle it." The red-haired woman leaned back in her seat. "What's the name of the song you will be singing?"

"Hmmm...Tuxedo Mirage." Minako answered after a few minutes.

"Sounds stupid." The black-haired judge snapped. She clearly was the youngest of the duo, which might've explained her sudden short temper. She was also dressed in a green sundress despite the weather.

"I think it sounds lovely! Please, play it for us!" The red-haired judge gushed, and the five women nodded.

Already the song was imbalanced when they started, since Rei decided all by herself that she would sing a majority of the lyrics, only switching off with Ami and leaving the other three girls as the chorus. Minako kept giving dirty looks to Rei every chance she got, but either Rei didn't get the hint or didn't care, since she never switched the melody off to her.

The black-haired judge was growing increasingly bored with their performance and eventually pulled out a golden ball-point pen. She looked over at the red-haired judge, who simply nodded.

"It's time. Gas them and take their Star Signs!" She said. "Oh, that sounded bad. It won't kill them, just knock them out..."

"Don't feel pity for them! This is why I work alone!" The black-haired judge suddenly stood up on the table, making the women stop playing in surprise. "Sorry to cut your act short, but we have something important to take from you instead!" She ripped off her sundress, revealing a lower half of a goat and goat horns. Her black hair suddenly curled up, and her eyes turned bigger and browner. Her outfit was a sexualized version of traditional Swiss clothing. "I'm Capricorn!"

"And I'm Cancer!" Cancer stood up as well and threw off her disguise, revealing her aquatic origins.

"Give us your Star Signs!" Capricorn slammed her finger down on the pen and placed it in her apron, then ran off. Cancer followed her.

"Come on, we have to follow them!" Ami commanded, jumping off the stage. She suddenly yawned and leaned against it.

"Oh no, they sprayed some sort of knock-out gas on us!" Minako cried before falling over.

"How are you so sure?" Rei asked before yawning.

"We'll deal with this...after a long nap!" Usagi yawned and collapsed to the ground. Soon four of the girls were in a deep sleep, leaving only Makoto awake.

"Hey, the gas couldn't penetrate my gas mask!" She exclaimed in surprise. She smirked at the girls. "And you guys said this mask was a dumb idea!" She quickly jumped off the stage and took off after the villains, finding them quite easily.

"Hey, you're still okay!" Capricorn said in shock. "You're immune!"

"It's just her gas mask..." Cancer pointed out. Makoto took a fighting stance.

"Wake my friends up and anyone else you've trapped here! I'm not afraid to fight you!" She proclaimed.

"Why would we do that when we could just take your Star Sign?" Cancer took a fighting stance as well. Makoto ran at her and managed to punch her in the stomach, knocking her over.

"You're useless! Leave this to the best of the best!" Capricorn grinned. "Flower Shower!" She send a flurry of sharp flowers out at Makoto, who managed to dodge all but one and got cut on her arm as a result.

"Ouch! Damn it!" She held her arm, which was starting to bleed. She started to run at them again, only to have Capricorn kick her away with her powerful goat leg. "How am I supposed to fight you? You fight too unfairly!"

"Do I? Then perhaps I need to even the score with a monster!" She grinned and spun one of her sharp flowers around.

"You have no monster, you haven't attacked anybody yet!" Makoto smirked at her.

"Maybe not when you got here, but we did in fact attack someone!" Cancer smirked back.

"Right! Get her, Idol-Wannabe!" Capricorn pointed at Makoto. "And while you're at it, steal her ridiculous gas mask." A monster jumped out of nowhere with a keyboard attached to her body by a strap. Her whole dress had a piano-theme to it.

"Okay, alright! Leave it all to me!" She sung in a techno-voice, then lunged at Makoto. She stepped to the side to avoid her, then gasped at she watched both Capricorn and Cancer vanish in their colored lights.

"Damn it, they're gone!" She swore.

"Imma lay down some sick beats, alright?" The monster formed several CDs and threw them at Makoto, who kicked them all away from her. "Oh, you a fan of older jams? I can play those too!" She formed a few cassettes and threw those at Makoto, who slapped them all away. She quickly ducked into a changing room and pulled out her green brooch. She took off her gas mask.

"Jupiter Eternal Power, Makeup!" She transformed herself into Eternal Sailor Jupiter, then pulled her gas mask back on. She jumped out at the monster.

"Hey, why'd ya vanish on me? We're having fun, ain't we?" She played a techno tune on her keyboard.

"I don't know who you were previously, but I won't forgive them for doing this to you! I'll make you hurt so much, you'll never forget it! I'm Sailor Jupiter, and I'll punish you on behalf of my planet, Jupiter!" She did her pose. "Your creator stole my attack, so I'm here to steal it back from her! Jupiter Flower Hurricane!" She sent a spiral of sharp flowers out at the monster, who screamed as she got cut up by them.

"Why'd you do that? No reason to be so mean. Just chill with me, we'll be fine friends!" The monster played a chord on her keyboard and sent a blast of energy out at Jupiter, knocking her into a wall. She struggled to stand up.

"Mercury Aqua Mirage!" Eternal Sailor Mercury send out her watery attack at the monster and stepped out of the light, revealing the other Inner Senshi with her.

"Mercury! Everyone! You came to save me!" Jupiter cheered from her spot on the floor.

"Wow, Sailor Moon was right, that mask does look creepy on you." Eternal Sailor Venus teased. She pulled the gas mask off Jupiter. "Now, Sailor Moon!"

"Alright!" Princess Sailor Moon formed her wand. "Moon Crystal Heart Embrace!" She fired her energy out at the monster and surrounded her in it.

"Charming, aren't I?" The monster asked before turning back into a human. She was a wannabe idol, wearing an outfit that parodied what Minako often wore onstage. Her Star Sign went back into her chest and she fell to the floor. Jupiter got up and took her gas mask out of Venus' hands.

"And to think, you guys found this mask to be dumb! It prevented me from getting knocked out!" She smirked.

"Just because something's useful doesn't make it less creepy!" Princess Sailor Moon protested.

"I kinda wish I knew what our results were though. I thought we did pretty well." Mercury sighed.

"They were the enemy! They probably weren't even listening to us anyway!" Mars snapped at her.

"I don't need amateur judges to tell me anything! I already know I'm good at what I do!" Venus flipped her hair.

"Let's head back, we haven't thanked Setsuna-san yet for making those costumes for us yet." Jupiter suggested, and the others nodded.

###############

"You had me make those things, and now you're giving them back to me despite only being used once?" Setsuna stared at them.

"Well, we don't know what else to do with them." Rei shrugged.

"I'd be glad to be rid of mine! Too many bad memories!" Minako laughed.

"Why don't you guys just keep them and do whatever you want with them? Leave me out of this!" Setsuna rubbed her head again.

The five women left the mansion and tossed their costumes up in the air.

"Who even came up with the ideas for our clothes? I mean, colored eyes, Makoto-chan's gas mask, and Usagi's pink hair?" Rei asked, looking around.

"I did. I found an old poster in my room at my mom's house that featured five alien girls who fought crime at night and were each a princess of her respective planet. That's what their outfits looked like, and you could say I took some inspiration from them." Ami smiled.

"Why would your mom keep something like that?" Minako wondered. "My mom would've thrown it away! She's probably thrown away everything in my old room by now, unless I took it with me!" She caught her costume and held it with a tight grip, possibly to emphasize her point.

"Why don't we go to my bakery? It's closed today, but I'm willing to open it up for some very special costumers!" Makoto grinned, catching her costume.

"Makoto-chan! We can't spend all of our time in your cafe! Think of me and Minako-chan! Think of what the gossipers would say about us!" Ami scolded her. She quickly caught her costume as it sailed down.

"Shouldn't we also go home and put these outfits up?" Usagi asked.

"Nonsense! Let's go!" Makoto ran off ahead of them, leaving the four girls to just smile at each other and try to catch up with her.


	16. Episode 16: Love is in the Air!

"I can't believe it's finally Valentine's Day!" Rei announced at her temple. The weather had warmed up slightly that day, so the Inners decided to hang out outside. "It seemed like it got here in no time at all!"

"I know, and we have no Valentines!" Ami stated.

"Maybe not you guys, but I have my amazing husband Mamo-chan!" Usagi swooned. She got hearts in her eyes thinking about him. "He's taking me out for dinner at a really fancy restaurant tonight, doesn't that sound romantic?"

"It sure does!" Ami agreed. "Sometimes I wish we could be married too..."

"Who has time for marriage? I gotta make music, not babies!" Minako laughed. "Still, I have a pretty good idea over who I should give my chocolate to..."

"I'm going to give mine to an old college friend of Mamoru-san's! We used to hang out a lot when we were younger!" Makoto swooned. She looked over at Rei. "How about you, Rei-chan? Who are you going to give your chocolate to?"

"Nobody." She said sternly, making the women gasp. "What? I don't like men and therefore don't see the point in giving them chocolate."

"Then give it to a girl." Makoto teased, making Rei tense up.

"You know what? Maybe I will just to humor you!" She stormed back inside her temple and shut the door loudly.

"Well, I gotta get going! My chocolate is still at my house, so I gotta get it!" Minako quickly ran off, ignoring the women waving back at her.

##############

Minako went back to her small house and found a large pile of Valentines all made out to her address and stage name. She grinned and carried as many as she could in her arms into her house and piled them onto her coffee table. She ended up having to make four trips. Most of the Valentines were just cards, but some of her wealthier fans had given her chocolates, perfumes, bouquets, and a Finnish boy even sent her a pair of diamond earrings. Most of the cards were just boys, and even some girls, gushing over how much they loved their idol and how they hoped she would read their card and enjoy their present. After reading most of them, she pulled out several vases and placed the bouquets in each one, leaving them on her counter. She placed the earrings and perfumes on her vanity, and put the boxes of chocolates in her fridge so they wouldn't melt while she was gone.

She grabbed her own box of chocolates and headed out to a certain address to give her Valentine his chocolates.

###########

Makoto knocked on the apartment door of her Valentine and smiled nicely when he opened the door. "Happy Valentine's Day, Asanuma-san!" She held the giant box of chocolates out to him, and he took them in a state of shock.

"Really? I'm your Valentine?" He asked.

"Yeah! Why, is that a problem?"

"No, it's just that, out of all the potential guys you know, you picked me?"

"I know you the best out of all of them, so why not?"

"I suppose that makes sense. Want to come in?"

"Sure!" She stepped inside his apartment and slipped out of her shoes. "Wow, your place sure is roomy!"

"I sure hope so, it's just me!" He opened the box of chocolates and his eyes got wide at the huge selection. "This must've cost a fortune!"

"I made a lot of those myself. You like?"

"Of course! I'll eat them later though so I don't spoil my dinner." He covered them back up and placed them in his fridge. Makoto sat down on his couch and he sat down next to her. "So, what should we do next?"

"I don't know. We're not dating, so we can't really get very intimate..." Makoto thought for a bit. "I heard you like UFOs and aliens. Want to tell me about your favorite UFO conspiracy theory?"

"Sure! But only because you asked!" They both laughed. "Okay, so I'm sure you know about the Roswell landing..."

###########

Minako found herself at Motoki and Unazuki's place and knocked loudly on their door. "Hey, you got an idol at the door!" She teased. Motoki opened it and looked quite surprised to see Minako there.

"Minako-san! What are you doing here?" He asked in confusion.

"Happy Valentine's Day! You are my Valentine!" She spelled out, handing him her box of chocolates. "I know you have a girlfriend and everything, so I won't ruin your mood by asking to come in or anything. I hope you still like my friendship chocolates!" She smiled, and he smiled back.

"Wow, thank you for your thoughts! I'm sure my sister and I will love to eat these after our dinner tonight!" He waved at her, and Minako waved back. "Don't stress yourself out too much with that singing career of yours, alright?"

"Alright!" She ran away and he shut his door.

"Hey, who was at the door?" Unazuki asked, her hair down from sleeping.

"Minako-san. She just wanted to give me some friendship chocolates for Valentine's Day. Did you want one?" He opened the box and offered one to her.

"Okay! That was nice of her!" She took it from him and ate it. "This is delicious!"

"Now, no more until after dinner!" He closed the box and jokingly wagged his finger at her.

"Awww, okay! I have to get dressed anyway." She went back into her bedroom, and Motoki sneaked a chocolate piece for himself. They were quite good, after all. He put the whole box in the fridge and went into his bedroom to get ready for his date that night.

######

Ami finished writing a letter to an old crush of hers from way back in middle school. They had been keeping in touch with letters all this time, which was how Ami was always aware of where he had moved to next. This was a special letter just for the holiday and came complete with a pen she thought suited him that he could use on his exams. She hoped he would think of her as he used it. She quickly sealed the envelope and ran outside to mail it to him. She hoped he would get it soon, and she wondered when she would get his own Valentine letter.

##########

"Happy Valentine's Day, Mamo-chan!" Usagi beamed, holding up the small box of chocolates she got for him.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Usako!" He held out a small box to her. "Go ahead, open it." She did and found a pearl necklace inside and she gasped.

"My birthstone!" She pulled it out and held it in her hands. "Oh, thank you Mamo-chan!" She jumped into his arms and he spun her around. She laughed happily. When he finally set her down, she tied the choker around her neck. "I feel bad now that my gift is just a typical box of chocolates..."

"Don't feel bad, chocolate is my favorite food!" He took it from her and kissed her again. "The only person who should feel bad is Usagi, since we didn't get her anything."

Usagi went over to Chibiusa, who was sitting up and sucking on a rattle. She picked her up. "What do you want for Valentine's Day, Usagi? How about a stuffed rabbit?" She pulled out a soft white rabbit plushie that was a bright white. Chibiusa quickly dropped her rattle and happily reached out for the new toy.

"Bun-bun!" She laughed, and Usagi set her back down and handed it to her. "Mama!" She held it close to her and smiled.

"You're welcome." Usagi smiled at her happy daughter. "There, now everyone is happy!"

"That's only part of my present, Usako. Tonight I was thinking of taking you out to dinner at a fancy restaurant." Mamoru said. Usagi smiled at him. "You should pick out your best dress for tonight."

"I will! In fact, I already have something in mind..." She ran into their bedroom to pick it out.

##########

"Ick, Valentine's Day. Love and good feelings are everywhere! I can't stand it!" Capricorn complained in the abandoned arcade.

"You're such a stereotypical villain! I think it's a nice idea!" Cancer smiled at her, then went back to her reading.

"What, giving chocolate to people you love? I'd like to ruin this holiday by taking out everyone's Star Sign!"

"Hey, that's not a bad idea! We could make a special chocolate that steals people's Star Signs when they eat it! Then we'll find the pure ones in no time!" Cancer looked up at her.

"Yeah, except everybody's already bought their treats for today way ahead of time." Capricorn griped.

"Then we'll just enchant all the boxes in this area!" Cancer grinned.

"Fine, but just know that it was my idea!"

"But you didn't come up with it..."

"My idea!"

"Fine, it was your idea." Cancer sighed and twirled away in her flash of red light.

"Hey! You're not allowed to leave in such a fancy way either!" Capricorn yelled at the air, then spun away into her own purple light and vanished.

############

"Happy Valentine's Day! Makoto-san helped me make some special family chocolate for everyone!" Hotaru said, holding the purple box out to her guardians as they made dinner.

"How sweet! Thank you, little princess!" Michiru smiled at her and took the box from her.

"I wish we remembered to give you something too!" Haruka said, but Hotaru shook her head.

"I don't mind, you guys are busy enough on this holiday with having me to worry about!"

"Speaking of which, do you think you and Hotaru can handle tonight's dinner?" Michiru asked nicely, addressing Setsuna. She simply nodded. "Great!" She threw her spoon to Hotaru and ran out of the kitchen, making Haruka run after her.

"I wonder what they're up to?" Hotaru wondered.

"It's not that hard to figure out...after all, they're a married couple on Valentine's Day." Setsuna shook her head. "Now come on and help me with this dinner."

"Alright!" Hotaru took Michiru's spot in front of the stove and continued stirring the soup that was on it.

#########

Meanwhile, chaos was starting to erupt around the city due to Capricorn and Cancer's spell on all store-bought chocolate, and the Senshi were quickly starting to catch on.

"Since we ate dinner, we can finally eat those chocolates you bought for me!" Asanuma exclaimed, pulling the box out of his fridge and offering the first one to Makoto. "Since you made them and all, I feel like you should have first pick."

"Oh, thank you, but I bought them for you, so therefore, you get first pick." Makoto smiled. He shrugged and picked an orange-creme, and Makoto picked a lime-creme. Asanuma quickly popped his into his mouth and clutched his chest once he swallowed it.

"Asanuma-san!" Makoto cried, standing up. "Are you alright?" She clutched her lime-creme tightly. His Star Sign jumped out of his chest, barely shining and dull-colored. "Oh no! These chocolates! The enemies must've cursed them!" Makoto shoved the box off the table and threw away her own chocolate. "But where are they?" She called the girls on her phone and told them the situation and warned them to keep their heads up.

Afterwards she transformed into Eternal Sailor Jupiter and kneeled next to Asanuma to keep a better eye on him.

########

"Cursed chocolates?" Rei wondered.

"Yeah, that's what Makoto-chan told me! Luckily, I didn't buy any chocolates for anybody, so I don't have anything to worry about!" Ami sighed in relief, then looked over at Minako, who looked worried. "How about you, Minako-chan? Did you buy chocolates for anybody?"

"Maybe I bought some for one person..." She smiled nervously. "I'm sure it's fine though!"

"Minako-chan!" Rei snapped at her. "How irresponsible!"

"Calm down! We know who the signs are, right? Cancer and Capricorn. Therefore, they'll only steal those signs. The people I gave mine to weren't either, so they're fine." Minako explained.

"But you know who is a Cancer?" Ami asked, and the three woman looked at each other in alarm.

"USAGI-CHAN!" They all cried in unison.

#############

"Thank you so much for taking me out on this dinner tonight, Mamo-chan!" Usagi gushed from their table. She had on a lacy pink blouse with a matching lavender skirt with pink frills on it and white heels. Overall, a very festive-looking holiday dress.

"You're welcome! I knew you would like it, even if the setting is a bit too formal for you." Mamoru teased her.

"You're terrible! I can handle formal dinners! I got dressed up for it, didn't I?" She glared at him, making him laugh.

"Yes you did, and you did a very good job of it."

At that point, their red-headed waitress came over to their table. "Are you two ready to order?" She asked sweetly, with a voice that sounded like gravelly sand.

"We sure are!" Usagi exclaimed, tossing her their menus. "We both want the curry!"

"Curry? Really?" Mamoru asked her, but Usagi just nodded.

"And we also want melon soda to drink! And for dessert, a chocolate cheesecake!"

"And for your sides?" The waitress asked, looking over at Usagi.

"A salad!" Usagi smiled, and the waitress wrote everything down.

"Also, have some rich chocolate, on the house!" The waitress threw down a small box of assorted chocolates in front of them with a huge grin. "Happy Valentine's Day!" She walked off, and Usagi pulled the box in front of her.

"That was strange. Even on Valentine's Day a restaurant shouldn't just give out free chocolates." She stated. "Still, free chocolate!" She grabbed a strawberry-creme and nearly popped it into her mouth when Mamoru smacked it away.

"Usako, don't eat that!" He yelled, making several people look over at them. "I feel a bad presence in this place...maybe we should go home."

"Usagi-chan!" The three Inners yelled, running over to their table.

"Thank goodness we got here when we did!" Minako cried.

"I sense a negative energy from this place! Bad feelings are everywhere!" Rei announced.

"Maybe we should be talking a bit quieter..." Ami said in embarrassment.

"Those negative waves you're feeling are coming from those chocolates!" Mamoru said, nodding at them.

"Are you sure?" Minako asked.

"I'm not sure, but it's a good guess. After all, that waitress just gave them to us for free." Mamoru explained.

"I think he's right! After all, the enemies cursed store-bought chocolate to reveal peoples' Star Signs when they ate it. If Usagi was going to eat one of these, then her pure Cancer sign would've come out, its power fueled by her Diamond Crystal!" Rei speculated.

The waitress came back, her black veil gone from her face. "What are you three nosy girls doing in my restaurant? Out, out! Leave this couple alone to enjoy their honeymoon!" The woman barked at them, waving her arms at them.

"Honeymoon? They're not on their honeymoon! They're on a date!" Minako protested.

"Yeah, they've been married for three years!" Rei pointed out.

"Date, honeymoon, whatever! They're all the same to me! Please leave now!" The woman took a deep breath and tried to keep her temper.

"I don't think I want my free chocolate anymore," Usagi said, trying to give her the box back.

"Yes you do! No date is complete without chocolate! Here, I'll prove it to you." The woman ripped off her disguise and grabbed the box away from Usagi, struggling to hold it properly in her crab claws. She smashed up the box and dumped the chocolate on the ground, and the women stared in shock as they watched it all transform into a giant monster formed from chocolate. "Now, isn't this the best date night ever?" Cancer smiled evilly. "Say hello to my new monster, Chocolator!"

"Chocolator!" The monster screamed in agreement, setting its sights instantly on Minako. "Orange-creme!" It pointed a finger at her and shot out orange filling, knocking Minako to the ground.

"Ouch, it burns!" She cried.

"Of course it does, it's supposed to be cooking!" Rei shot back at her.

"Is now really the time for this?" Ami asked.

"Have fun with my monster on your date! Try not to make him feel like a third-wheel, alright?" Cancer laughed and spun around in her red light, vanishing.

"Finally! Now we can transform!" Ami announced, pulling out her blue brooch. "Mercury Eternal Power, Makeup!"

"Mars Eternal Power, Makeup!"

"Crystal Moon Princess Power, Makeup!"

They all transformed and did their poses.

"Here, I'll help you out of that." Eternal Sailor Mars giggled. "Mars Snake Fire!" She aimed her attack at Minako and released the orange goop she was covered in.

"Hey, thanks!" She smiled and pulled out her orange brooch. "Venus Eternal Power, Makeup!" She transformed into Eternal Sailor Venus and did her pose.

"Vanilla-creme!" The monster pointed another finger and aimed a stream of boiling vanilla filling at Eternal Sailor Mercury, who dodged it.

"Mercury Aqua Mirage!" She fired her attack at the monster and managed to cut part of its abdomen.

"It's just a monster made of chocolate! How hard could it possibly be to beat?" Venus demanded wearily. "Venus Wink Chain Sword!" She threw her sword at the monster this time, making the sword lodge itself inside its chest, making it slow down significantly. Venus' sword vanished from its chest.

"Moon Tiara Action!" Princess Sailor Moon threw her jeweled tiara at the monster, cutting it up even more. "You should throw some roses, Tuxedo Mask! Then it'll really be a Valentine's Day fight!" She laughed.

"I think the only way to defeat this thing is with heat!" Mercury suggested.

"And we're near a kitchen! Surely there must be something hot enough we could use in there?" Venus wondered. Mars ran inside the kitchen.

"Hold it off, I have an idea!" She grabbed a bottle of spicy wasabi sauce and grinned a bit. She popped the cap off and took a few quick drinks of it, then covered her mouth so she wouldn't spit it back up. After she felt her mouth light up with figurative fire, she ran back into the fight. "Hey, chocolate monster! What do you say to some cooking time?" She grinned.

"Mars? What are you planning?" Mercury asked nervously.

"Please don't burn this place down!" Venus added quickly.

"FIRE SOUL!" Mars opened her mouth and felt the torrent of fire pour from it, a result of both the sauce and her power. She spun around, surrounding the monster in her fiery breath.

Soon the monster found itself surrounded and melting from the high temperature. It soon melted into a puddle of nearly-burnt chocolate, and the flames died down into nothing.

Mars, on the other hand, was still flamed-up from her attack and was panting to try and cool herself down. Mercury quickly fired an attack at her and soaked her in water. She smiled at her.

"Thank you, I really needed that." She detransformed into her dry outfit.

"Wow, we really trashed the place this time," Mercury noticed, surveying all the damage they did. She detransformed as well.

"I guess that means we can't continue our dinner here," Usagi sighed.

"Don't act like that! It's Valentine's Day! I'm sure we'll find a way to make it up somehow." Mamoru promised, wrapping her in his arms.

"I really wish I could be married now!" Ami sighed.

"I'm too busy for marriage!" Both Minako and Rei laughed at the same time.

"I have to find an actor or singer who's schedule is just like mine! That way we can plan all our down-time with each other!" Minako stated.

"My husband should be a doctor, like I am." Ami thought.

"Mine would be just as serious and religious as me. He would help me run things around my shrine, mostly when I did things like this. I don't like men though, so it would be more of a partnership than a marriage." Rei explained.

"I wonder what Makoto-chan's ideal man is?" Ami wondered.

"Why don't we ask her next time we see her?" Minako asked.

"Knowing her, she wants a sensitive guy who loves cake and flowers as much as her! He'd help around in her bakery and be kind to her friends, but behind the scenes, they can't keep their hands off each other!" Rei teased.

"Rei! Don't be such a pervert! Now you're sounding like Minako-chan!" Usagi scolded.

They all laughed and cleared out of there.

##########

After Asanuma's Star Sign returned to his chest, Makoto knew her friends had defeated the monster and so she quickly detransformed just as he was waking up.

"Makoto-san?" He asked in a tired voice. "What happened to me?"

"Oh, the chocolate I bought for you was cursed by the enemy, and you ate it and passed out!" Makoto explained. "You're fine now though, so don't worry!"

"Cursed chocolate? What will they think of next?" He asked as he stood up, making Makoto laugh. They both looked at all the chocolate Makoto spilled on the floor when she knocked the box off the table.

"Oh, but I'm sure it's fine now!" She said.

"We'd better not risk it." He threw it away. "Still, I really liked the time we spent today, it was a lot of fun. You should come over again sometime."

"Maybe I will. I'm a very busy person, you know!" She slipped on her shoes. He opened the door for her, and she thanked him quickly and left into the evening light.


End file.
